PFCC Conference 2025 - Innovative ways to tackle crime and protect vulnerable people workshops

Community safety partners heard more about various initiatives going on in Essex to tackle domestic abuse, knife crime, gangs, antisocial behaviour and serious violence.

Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) for Essex, hosted an audience of 250 invited guests at the annual conference, focusing on “delivering a safer Essex for everyone through collaboration, opportunity and change.”

The event, at Colchester Jobserve Community Stadium, brought together community safety partners, including Essex Police, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, the Violence and Vulnerability Unit, charities, community groups and council partners.

Delegates were invited to attend workshops throughout the day, looking at themes from road policing and domestic abuse to data and funding.

Workshops included -

Creating community safe spaces from domestic abuse, with Alpha Vesta

Alpha Vesta’s mission is to use a whole community approach to breaking the cycle of domestic abuse at the earliest opportunity.

Part of that work is to provide training to businesses and members of the public around spotting the signs someone is experiencing domestic abuse.

It also helps to create safe spaces in public spaces, under the J9 initiative.

Caroline Judd, operations manager for Alpha Vesta, said: “Our work is about spotting the signs of domestic abuse as early as possible, so we can get somebody to the relevant support services out there. It’s about getting that early support, so it does not escalate to crisis as then it is hard to break that cycle.

“Everyone here today has the same goals; we all want to make a difference. We are very aware of the restrictions on public services in terms of budgets and the challenges they face, so to be helping in that sector and working in partnership just means that awareness rolls out.”

Beating knife crime / gangs and protecting young people, with the PFCC Violence and Vulnerability Unit

The work taking place behind a series of hard-hitting communication campaigns was outlined to delegates.

The Violence and Vulnerability Unit (VVU) works to reduce serious violence in Essex, liaising with partners, young people and parents to uncover dangerous trends and establish the necessary key messages which need communicating in response.

Kirsty Gibbons, police and development lead, said: “We have today shown some of our communication campaigns and explained how we utilise them using evidence from the VVU. We use the voices of young people and our stakeholders to inform the work we do.

“It is an opportunity to raise awareness of what we are doing, how we are reaching people and how they can utilise our evidence-based resources.”

Delegates were encouraged to share their views on campaign strategies and the effectiveness of straplines in engaging people.

Using data to identify vulnerable people and communities, with business consultancy CACI

Barriers to data sharing and what success looks like was explained by business consultant Stewart Eldridge.

Mr Eldridge, associate partner at CACI, said: “I have shared with delegates examples of where data sharing has been a big success in the public sector.

“My message is to focus on the positives, as in what you are doing well. The things you are not doing well will follow and if you apply the same approaches the things you are not doing so well will turn out okay in the end.

“Data is not scary and sharing data is not scary. The fear should be taken out of it by communication. When you have got rid of the fear, you have a common language, reduce costs and can start delivering services and be more joined up.

“Data is at the heart of decision-making. At the heart of everything is data.”

Tackling antisocial behaviour and serious violence in our communities, with PFCC

The police and partnership approach to tackling antisocial behaviour and serious violence in our communities was outlined by the team behind initiatives including Safer Streets.

Claire Hanrahan, project lead, said: “We have looked at the police approach and the partnership approach and the success stories which have resulted in a reduction in antisocial behaviour in hotspot locations, more than those areas which are not hotspots.

“It has been great for partners to feedback their ideas on what we could deliver in future and what they could deliver – such as environmental changes and drug and alcohol referrals.

“It is that multi-agency approach to tackling it in the community. If you have an issue in the community, it is not just the police who resolve it. The only way to address it is to get everyone working as it is a community problem.”