Getting to Grips with Gangs now!
Multi-Agency Action to Reduce Gang-Related Crime and Disorder

Conference organised by Infomed Research and Training, on Wednesday 29 October 2008,
at the Local Government Association, Conference Centre, Smith Square, London WC1P 3HZ

This conference is for leaders, decision-makers and practitioners from Local Government, Police, Criminal Justice, Children Services, Third Sector and partnerships, such as CDRPs and YOTs, who are committed to reducing gang-related crime and disorder.
 

The Conference will:

• Give delegates the opportunity to listen to policy makers and strategists from key organisations involved in practical implementation.
• Take a fresh look at the complex issues around gangs based on updates on national and local action, recent research findings and best practice
• Offer the opportunity to attend best practice forums and discuss effective interventions and exit strategies that are being developed and implemented by local and national partnerships.
• Identify the key issues and mechanisms for achieving the best balance between education, prevention/diversion, intelligence, investigation, enforcement and prosecution.
• Identify key issues for stakeholders, holistic approaches, scope for working within existing and emerging partnership arrangements at national and local levels.

Speakers and forum facilitators include:

• Kit Malthouse, Deputy Mayor for Policing, London

• Chris Hayes, Regional Director, Government Office for London

• Frances Done, Chair, Youth Justice Board

• Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, Columnist at The Independent and London’s Evening Standard

• Dr Juanjo Medina, Lecturer on Criminology at the School of Law, University of Manchester

• Chief Supt Sharon Rowe, Borough Commander, Lambeth, Metropolitan Police Service

• Dr Marian FitzGerald, Visiting Research Professor, Kent Criminal Justice Centre

• Cathy Elliot, Assistant Chief Executive, Community Foundation for Merseyside

• Kirk Dawes QPM, West Midlands Mediation and Transformation Services

• Dr Marian FitzGerald, Visiting Research Professor, Kent Criminal Justice Centre

• Insp Sharon Naughton, West Midlands Police

• Andy McLean, Multi-Agency Learning and Development Officer, Manchester Safeguarding Children Board

• Ralph Corrigan, Information Manager, Manchester Multi-Agency Gang Strategy (MMAGS)

About the Conference:

This conference builds on recently published research findings and guides to best practice, such as:

• Tackling gangs: a practical guide for local authorities, CDRPs and other local partners,
  Home Office, May 2008
  www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/violentstreet/violentstreet012a.pdf
• Monitoring data from the Tackling Gangs Action Programme, Paul Dawson, May 2008
  www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/testbed/violentstreet011a.pdf
• Street Weapons Commission: Guns, Knives and Street Violence, Professor Peter Squires and Arianna Silvestri with Dr Roger Grimshaw and Enver Solomon, Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, June 2008
  www.channel4.com/news/microsites/S/street_weapons_commission/pdfs/C4_SWC_final_report.pdf
• Gangs and Group Offending guidance
  www.teachernet.gov.uk/docbank/index.cfm?id=12639
• Groups, Gangs and Weapons, Tara Young, Marian FitzGerald, Simon Hallsworth and Ian Joseph,
  Youth Justice Board, 2007
• Reluctant Gangsters, John Pitts, Willan Publishing, 2008
• Youth Gangs in an English City: Social Exclusion, Drugs and Violence, Aldridge, Judith et al, 2007
  www.law.manchester.ac.uk/research/centres/ccsls/gangunit/documents/RES-000-23-0615-5k_000.pdf
• Gangs at the Grassroots: Community solutions to street violence, Anthony Brand and Richard Ollerearnshaw, New Local Government Network, July 2008
  www.nlgn.org.uk/public/wp-content/uploads/gangs-at-the-grassroots.pdf

Attendees are advised to familiarise themselves with the findings and recommendations therein.

By the end of the conference, attendees will be able to:

• Advise local stakeholders on the latest measures and proposals to prevent and
  tackle gang-related crime and disorder
• Be in a position to contact colleagues from around the country and further discuss
   ways of addressing similar challenges
• Revise strategies as necessary and identify action points that will improve their
  effectiveness in getting to grips with gangs

• Local Government
  • Elected Members
  • Policy Officers
  • Community Safety
  • Anti-Social Behaviour
     
• Police Authorities and Police Services
  • Authority Members
  • Chief Officers and BCU Commanders
  • Youth Liaison, Violent Crime and Crime Reduction
  • Neighbourhood Inspectors and Community Safety
  • Criminal Justice
     
• Children and Young People’s Services
  • Children’s Services and Youth Services
  • Local Safeguarding Children Boards
  • Youth Offending Teams
  • Schools, Education Welfare and Behaviour Support
     
• CDRPs and other relevant Partnerships

• Offender Management Service
  • Probation Officers
  • Prison Governors
     

• Third Sector organisations

• Magistrates

• Crown Prosecution Service

The Conference will:

• focus on areas where significant harm reduction can be achieved only through effective partnership working, involving local government, police, health and the business and voluntary sectors
• provide a comprehensive update on latest reports, Government measures and proposals
•  cover alcohol-related crime and disorder, chronic and acute ill health caused by alcohol, public perceptions of drunken and rowdy behaviour, impact on A&E and other hospital services
•  examine the important new opportunities and mechanisms presented by the new Local Area Agreements for the delivery of local alcohol harm reduction targets, including improvement targets
  linked to APACS and NIs
•  identify next steps for joint working for practical action in the on-going development and implementation of multi-agency alcohol harm reduction strategies

Conference Programme for Download ▼