University pleased to welcome Policing Minister to campus

The University of Northampton was delighted to welcome Police and Criminal Justice Minister, Damien Green, to Sunley Conference Centre today, Thursday 6 February.

Mr Green visited the county to see first-hand how Northamptonshire Police, the University of Northampton and local communities are working together to develop stronger communities that can resist crime, disorder and operate more effectively in addressing their specific local issues.

Since receiving Ashoka U ‘Changemaker Campus’ status in recognition of the University’s commitment to social innovation and entrepreneurship, the University has worked to cement local partnerships to address and create solutions for social problems.

The intensive engagement project, the Locally Identified Solutions and Practices (LISP) toolkit, operated in partnership between Northamptonshire Police and the University, forms the foundation for the Police Community Support Officers (PCSO) training facilitated at the University. At the heart of the project is the desire to develop the ability to work closely with local communities to identify what is behind local problems such as Anti-Social Behaviour and Crime.  All PCSOs have now been trained by the University to support their enhanced approach to community problem solving.

Father Tim Curtis, ‘Changemaker Campus’ lead at the University of Northampton said: “This project has been a collaboration that has been running for over a year as a ‘Changemaker Campus’ project. By involving residents, businesses, volunteers and community groups, alongside local authorities and the Police, to develop LISP plans to tackle the underlying causes of crime and disorder, rather than just waiting for the Police or local authorities to fix the problem, the community itself creates a long term, sustainable solution for the issue.

“It’s been a fantastic collaboration. As a ‘Changemaker’ university, we believe in working in partnership with others to maximise the social impact of all we do. This project with Northamptonshire Police will make a positive impact on society in Northamptonshire, and we hope the Minister will be impressed with our work and share this with others, improving communities across the UK.”