Criminal costing villagers £50,000 (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Criminal costing villagers £50,000

AN initiative to combat drug-related crime in the North Cotswolds has celebrated a year of success - including rehabilitating one prolific offender who cost local residents an estimated £50,000.

The Script project was set up across Gloucestershire in 2005, adopting a multi-agency approach to tackling the growing problem of drug-related crimes. It includes the police, the Probation Service, Cotswold District Council and Gloucestershire Drugs and Alcohol Service (GDAS).

DC Dave Gill, who heads the initiative, said: "In the North Cotswolds area there is one prolific offender who committed a large number of crimes, mostly burglaries, in the Moreton, Leckhampton and Bourton areas between 2000 and 2005.

"According to Home Office-derived methodology, it is estimated that this offender has cost society in the region of £50,000 through their offending. The excellent partnership work being carried out by the team in reducing crime and disorder and promoting safety and reassurance across the county means that he has not committed a crime since the scheme started."

A Home Office report suggested that half of all crime is committed by just 10 per cent of offenders, with offences ranging from shoplifting and burglary to gun crime. When these offenders are released from prison without support they often return to drugs and crime, creating a vicious cycle.

The project aims to prevent and deter people engaging in criminal behaviour and becoming prolific offenders, to catch and convict - actively tackling those who are committing offences persistently, and rehabilitating and resettling identified prolific offenders by offering a range of support.

Cllr Les Haines, of Cotswold District Council, and community safety manager for the Cotswold district, said: "The fact that some of the persistent offenders are not free to commit further crimes means that residents can feel safer in their communities. This work is an excellent example of a number of agencies co-operating closely to get results.

DC Gill said: "Not only are we enforcers of the law but we are also now seen by prolific offenders as being one of a number of agencies that are working towards their rehabilitation. If offenders go against our advice, they fall into the catch and convict strand of the scheme. In this part of the strategy, Gloucestershire is ranked number one in the country."