Joint Agency Groups
The Liverpool Joint Agency Groups (JAGs) are made up of professionals, voluntary workers and councillors from throughout the city and exist to give flexible, effective responses to merging issues in crime and disorder and the fear of crime and disorder in Liverpool. There are three JAGs, which have sub groups or JAGs associated with them, as indicated in the diagram below.
The Offender JAG targets prolific priority offenders (these are individuals who commit high levels of serious crime and who often have a tendency towards violence) offering them drug and alcohol treatment and support, and providing pathways to prevent further offending. Where these offers are rejected they move quickly to ensure that such offenders are subjected to the criminal justice process and receive custodial sentences or restraints upon their behaviour to stop them re-offending.
The newly formed Prevent and Deter Group works with large numbers of significant youths who are at risk of falling into criminal behaviour by offering them a range of interventions which will turn them away from criminality.
The Vulnerable Families JAG has been established to provide a focal point for developing and delivering the Respect Action Plan. The VFJAG provides an inter-agency, action-led response to families and individuals within families who are causing significant concern in relation to anti-social behaviour and disorder.
The VJAG aims to build upon existing provision to:
- reduce anti social behaviour;
- seek long term behavioural change;
- increase stability;
- prevent eviction and subsequent homelessness.
The Environment JAG works to prevent the build up of crime and disorder in potential hotspots and provides a range of target hardening interventions.
The groups meet regularly and uses the National Intelligence Model on Victim, Offender, Location takes a location or environmental approach to crime prevention and community safety.
The group is extremely action centred and consist of individuals who can get their own organisations to work with others to ensure quick, effective and sensitive responses to crime and disorder in the whole of the city.
It aims to use innovation and partnership to reduce crime and fear from crime concentrating on 4 main strands:
- Burglary
- Violence
- Theft
- Car Crime