Glossary of Useful Terms
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Acceptable Behaviour Contract (ABC)
Voluntary agreement between an individual and an agency, which sets out agreed parameters of behaviour. If the contract is broken, further steps will follow, often court action.
Acquisitive Crime
Crimes such as burglary and theft where items are stolen with the specific intention of selling them for cash.
Alcohol Free Zone
A designated area where a Police Officer or Police Community Support Officer has the power to stop any person drinking alcohol in that area. They can stop the person drinking, confiscate the alcohol and dispose of it in a suitable manner. Unopened containers, for example being carried in a bag, cannot be seized unless the person is under the legal age to purchase alcohol ie 18 years. Areas are covered by the following legislation: Designation Order Pursuant to section 13 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 and the Local Authorities(Alcohol Consumption in Designated Public Places) Regulations 2001.
Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR)
Automatic Number Plate Recognition is a mass surveillance method that uses optical character recognition on images to read the licence plates on vehicles.
Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB)
The Crime and Disorder Act (1998) defined Anti-Social Behaviour as "acting in a manner that caused or was likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more persons not of the same household" (as the defendant).
Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO)
Courts can impose Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBO) in criminal proceedings where there is a conviction in addition to sentencing or a fine or can impose an ASBO where one of the above makes a free-standing application.
Available where the individual has acted in a manner that caused or was likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to an person not of the same household and an order is necessary to protect persons from further antisocial acts.
The ASBO will prohibit certain actions that are necessary to protect persons from further acts e.g. Exclusion from a given area, playing music, shouting racist comments or swearing, driving.
If the ASBO is breached a prosecution should follow and the usual sanction will be a custodial sentence
Anti-Social Behaviour Strategy Group
The ASB Strategy Group is a multi-agency group, responsible for overseeing and co-ordinating various strands of work, to prevent and reduce ASB across the borough.
British Crime Survey (BCS)
The British Crime Survey (BCS) is a very important source of information about levels of crime and public attitudes to crime and other Home Office issues. The BCS measures the amount of crime in England and Wales by asking people about crimes they have experienced in the last year. The BCS includes crimes that are not reported to the police, so it is an important alternative to police records.
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Class A
Illegal drugs are put into categories. Class A drugs are the most harmful. Examples include: cocaine, crack cocaine, ecstasy, heroin, LSD, Crystal Meth and magic mushrooms. Class A drugs have the biggest penalties.
Class B
Class B drugs are considered less harmful than Class A drugs. Examples include speed and cannabis.
Class C
Class C drugs are considered the least harmful. Examples include: Tranquilisers, some painkillers, Gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB), Ketamine. In December 2009, the following 'legal highs' were made Class C drugs: GBL, BZP and synthetic cannaboids such as 'Spice'.
Community Safety Strategy
The Crime and Disorder Act (1998) required that Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) publish a Community Safety Strategy every 3 years following an audit. The last Community Safety Strategy set out the Community Safety targets for the Royal Borough for 2005-2008. CDRPs are now required to carry out an annual Strategic Assessment and produce a Partnership Plan in place of the community safety strategy.
Community Partnership
The Community Partnership is a borough-wide, non-statutory partnership. It has five key themes: a good place to live, work and visit; getting about; safe and secure; healthy and caring; and learning for life.
Crime and Disorder Act (1998)
Act placing a statutory requirement on all responsible authorities to consider the crime and disorder implications of all their activities.
Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP)
The Partnership was established as required by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. It comprises the Police, Police and Fire Authorities, Windsor and Maidenhead and Ascot Primary Care Trust, and the Royal Borough as "responsible partners". There are a number of other key partners such as the Probation Service.
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Demoted Tenancy
If a tenant has acted in an anti-social manner in the locality of their rented property the landlord can follow a process to demote the tenancy for a period of up to one year.
The landlord must serve a Notice on the tenant.
The landlord must then obtain a court order for demotion of the tenancy by providing evidence to the court that there had been anti-social behaviour and by persuading the court that in all the circumstances it is reasonable to order possession.
If the tenant persists with anti-social behaviour the landlord can apply to evict the tenant through an expedited process that does not require proof of further anti-social behaviour.
Designated Public Places Order(DPPO)
An order agreed by Council where a Police Officer or Police Community Support Officer has the power to stop any person drinking alcohol in that area (also known as Alcohol Free Zone). They can stop the person drinking, confiscate the alcohol and dispose of it in a suitable manner. Unopened containers, for example being carried in a bag, cannot be seized unless the person is under the legal age to purchase alcohol ie 18 years.
DPPOs are covered by the following legislation:
- Designation Order Pursuant to section 13 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001
- The Local Authorities(Alcohol Consumption in Designated Public Places) Regulations 2001.
Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT)
Drug and Alcohol Action Teams bring together representatives of all the local agencies involved in tackling the misuse of drugs, including the health authority, local authority - social services, education and youth services, police, probation, and the voluntary sector.
Domestic Violence (also referred to as domestic abuse)
Physical, psychological, emotional, sexual or financial abuse (which can involve drugs and alcohol) that takes place within the home or within relationships.
Drug Intervention Programme (DIP)
The Drug Interventions Programme is a key part of the Government's strategy for tackling drugs and reducing crime. The Programme aims to get adult drug-misusing offenders out of crime and into treatment and other support.
Eviction
If a tenant has acted in an anti-social manner in the locality of their rented property the landlord can follow a process to evict the tenant.
The landlord must serve a Notice Seeking Possession on the tenant.
The landlord must then obtain a court order for possession of the property by providing evidence to the court that there had been anti-social behaviour and by persuading the court that in all the circumstances it is reasonable to order possession.
Falcon
Operation Falcon is the Thames Valley Police drug strategy. The initiative involves Police in the Royal Borough, Slough and Bracknell Forest coming together to tackle and disrupt class A drugs markets, street dealing and associated crime across Berkshire East.
Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN)
Fixed Penalty Notices are on the spot fines. A FPN does not constitute a criminal conviction but non-payment of the ticket is dealt with in the Magistrates Court.
Group Dispersal Powers
A Group Dispersal area may be designated which would enable Thames Valley Police to require any groups of two or more young people to disperse and not to return to the area for a given period of time.
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Homophobic Crime
A homophobic incident is any incident that appears to the victim, or any other person to be motivated by homophobia. Homophobia is an irrational hatred, and / or fear, of homosexuals.
House in Multiple Occupation (HMO)
A HMO is a house, which is occupied by people who do not form a single household.
Injunction/ Undertaking
An injunction may be granted by the court:
1. Against any (adult) person whose behaviour impacts on the landlord's management of its housing stock and could cause nuisance or annoyance to anyone living in the neighbourhood.
2. Against a person who has behaved in contravention to a term of a tenancy agreement prohibiting certain types of anti-social behaviour such as harassment or noise.
3. Against a person who used or threatened to use their housing for an illegal purpose (e.g. Brothel, drug den)
Evidence must be presented to the Court proving anti-social behaviour or threatened behaviour.
A person who has an application for an injunction against them may offer to the party bringing the application and to the court a promise not to behave in a particular way in the future instead of an injunction. The promise is called an undertaking.
Breach is sanction by committal to prison and/or a fine
Key Performance Indicator (KPI)
KPIs are quantifiable measurements, agreed to beforehand, that reflect the critical success factors of an organisation. They help organisations to define and measure progress towards organisational goals.
Local Area Agreement (LAA)
LAAs set out the priorities for a local area agreed between central government and a local area (the local authority and Local Strategic Partnership) and other key partners at the local level.
Local Child Curfew Order
A child curfew scheme may be established allowing notices to be issued. Where a child curfew notice is issued, parents/guardians will be required to ensure any young person of 15 years or less is at home during the curfew hours.
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Mediation
Parties in dispute come around the table to discuss issues in a non-confrontational manner in a neutral venue with the assistance of trained mediators.
Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG)
NAGs are volunteer working groups made up of representatives from the community. They will include residents, the police, local authority, and other organisations, such as local businesses and schools. A NAG is set up to deal with key issues identified by the community's first public consultation.
Noise Abatement Notice
If a complaint of noise nuisance is proven to an environmental protection officer a notice requiring the same to cease must be served on the creator of the noise.
If the nuisance continues, a prosecution can follow
Parenting Contracts / Parental Control Agreement
A parenting contract is an agreement negotiated between an agency and the parents of a child involved in or likely to become involved in criminal conduct or anti-social behaviour.
It sets out ways in which parents are required to exercise control over their child's behaviour. It may also set out ways in which the agency or agencies also party to the contract
Parenting Contracts for Truants/ Excluded Pupils
Where a pupil has been excluded on disciplinary grounds from school for a fixed period or permanently or where a child of compulsory school age has failed to attend regularly at a relevant school at which he is a registered pupil a Parenting contract can be made which contains:
i. a statement by the parent that s/he agrees to comply with such requirements as may be specified in the document for such period as may be so specified aiming to improve the behaviour of the pupil and
ii. a statement by the local education authority or school's governing body that it agrees to provide support to the parent for the purpose of complying with the requirements aiming to ensure that the child attends regularly at the relevant school at which s/he is a registered pupil.
Parenting Orders
Where a pupil has been excluded school for a fixed period or permanently a local education authority may apply to a magistrates' court for a parenting order in respect of a parent of the pupil.
Where a child is before the court in connection with anti-social behaviour the court may make a parenting order in respect of a parent.
An order will require the parent to comply, for a period not exceeding twelve months, with such requirements as are specified in the order and may require the parent to attend, for a concurrent period not exceeding three months, such counselling or guidance programme as may be specified in directions given by the responsible officer.
The programme may be or include a residential course if the court is satisfied that it is likely to be more effective than his attendance at a non-residential course in improving the behaviour of the pupil and that any interference with family life which is likely to result from the attendance of the parent at a residential course is proportionate in all the circumstances.
Partnership Plan
The Partnership Plan sets out the action plan for reducing crime and disorder in the Royal Borough.
Racial Incident
Any incident that is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person.
Racial Incidents Advisory Forum
This forum is made up of representatives from the Royal Borough's religious community, Thames Valley Police, the local authority, housing associations and other relevant agencies. The forums aim is to reduce the impact of racial abuse on families and other victims.
Repeat Victimisation
Repeat victimisation occurs when the same person or place suffers from more than one incident over a specified period of time.
Responsible Authorities
The Crime and Disorder Act (1998) defines the 'responsible authorities' as the Local Authority, Police, Police Authority, Fire Authority and Primary Care Trust. Responsible authorities have a statutory duty to work with other local agencies and organisations to develop and implement strategies to tackle crime and disorder.
Substance Misuse Arrest Referral Team (SMART)
SMART works with substance misusers who have come into the criminal justice system. An 'arrest referral' service is provided, whereby those who are arrested and taken into police custody for committing particular crimes are assessed in terms of their drug use. Referrals can then be made to the appropriate treatment service.
T2
T2 is the first port of call for anyone in the borough wishing to seek help for their own drug problem or advice about a friend or family member. The service is for both adults and young people and can be assessed via self referral or a referral from any other agency'.
Windsor and Maidenhead Community Forum (WAMCF)
WAMCF is a multi-faith and multi-ethnic forum that is geared to bring all communities in the Royal Borough together to respect diversity and promote harmony.
Youth Offending Team (YOT)
The YOT is made up of professionals from a variety of agencies. In the team there are social workers, a probation officer, police officer, health worker, education worker, youth worker, bail support worker and parenting co-ordinator. It provides a service for young people aged 8-17 who are offending or at risk of offending and their families/carers. The service is provided with due regard for the victims of these offences.
