Tension Monitoring

1
Tension Monitoring

• East Midlands

2
Tension Monitoring

• Why?
• In communities where there is a lack of cohesion,
  tensions can arise which may lead to conflict.
• Councils need processes for monitoring and
  responding to these, on the basis that early
  intervention can make a real difference.

3
What?

• Tensions can differ from one area to another
• Race/Faith
• Rural urban
• Long term residents/new arrivals
• Intergenerational
• Tension monitoring would need to track these
  conflicts alongside any national or international
  events that may threaten cohesion- e.g Danish
  Cartoons

4
How?

• Best way is through multi-agency tension
  monitoring group regular meetings.
• Meetings can be used to discuss current and
  potential problems/issues
• Emphasis on identifying pro-active interventions
• Meetings should be informed by quantitative data
  (police/intelligence) and softer qualitative data
  (community/neighbourhood wardens/ community
  workers/ casework local councillors/incidents of
  racist graffiti/feedback from community meetings.

5
Where?

• Local is key the primary focus is likely to be
  local and immediate threats to cohesion.
• But
• Always bear in mind that national and
  international events can have an impact on local
  tensions
• Important to keep an eye on developments
  regionally/nationally /internationally that may
  have an impact on the area.

6
What does CFU do with information

• In the past formed part of a retrospective
  submission to ministers and GOs were not copied
  in
• Our new approach is to be far more proactive to
  offer assistance where required by Local
  Authorities.
• To use the returns to impact on emerging themes
  and to offer assistance to local authorities
  where requested.
• We would also like to share with GOs general
  trends across the country.

7
What should Local Authorities be reporting on

• Political
• Extremist political activity (leafleting.graffiti,
  meetings)
• Local demonstrations
• Local political situations which are inflaming
  community tensions
• Community
• Tensions between specific communities
• Incidents between specific communities
• Immigration, Asylum and Refugee
• Local concerns about the effects of migration on
  an area
• Impact of national policy on migration
• Racist attacks motivated by anti-migrant
  sentiment
• Incidents involving asylum seekers or refugees
• Race and Religious
• Local actions of racist organisations
• Incidents of race hate crime
• Concerns within communities about racism
• Incidents of religious hate crime

8
What should local authorities be reporting on (2)

• Criminal
• Gang activity
• Anti-social behaviour
• National and International
• National or international incidents which
• have impacted or have the potential
• to impact on the local community
• Other
• Things that may not fit into other categories
• Future
• Significant anniversaries
• Planned demonstrations
• Other future events-

9
Making assessments

• For each area the GO should make an assessment of
  the level of risk according to the assessment
  criteria.
• The assessment criteria are based on those used
  by the National Community Tensions team (NCCT)

10
Assessment Framework

• High
• Area faces the highest risk. These
• Areas have the potential to experience
• disturbances in the immediate future
• Substantial and widespread fears in the
  community and from local agencies about the
  imminence of public disorder
• Evidence of preparations for public disorder or
  its consequences
• Significant hostility between particular groups
  or towards police
• Evidence that serious cohesion related offences
  have been committed

11
Assessment Framework (2)

• Medium
• Tensions are evident in the local area, but the
  risk to disorder is not immediate
• Significant numbers of people in the community
  and local agencies with fears about the potential
  for disorder if no action is taken
• Targeting of particular communities by extremists
• Tension indicators- such as assaults on police,
  racist graffiti- have risen
• Expected disorder is localised or within certain
  communities

12
Assessment Framework (3)

• Low
• Tensions remain evident, but are not high. There
  is no immediate risk of disorder.
• Limited community concerns that tension will
  develop into disorder and that, even if it did,
  the impact would be minor
• Targeting of specific communities by extremist is
  at a low level.

13
Tension Risk Assessment
14
Reporting Form

• What happened? (who was involved? When? Where?)
• What action are local agencies taking (long and
  short term?)
• Has the incident been picked up by the media?
  What is the angle of reporting?
• Is there potential for further disorder?
• Background on the area (e.g. recent tensions,
  community cohesion initiatives, engagement of
  local areas etc)