Jane Mowatt, Chair

Jane was elected as NCSN Chair of the Board of Directors / Trustees in December 2006.

I have been Director of Safer York Partnership since August 2002. Prior to that I spent six years in the Corporate Development Unit of North Yorkshire Police consulting with communities, working with hard to reach groups and developing a method by which CDRPs could carry out their crime audits. My work in this field has been commended by HMIC in two inspections of the force and I have had articles published by the Home Office. I have worked closely with CDRPs across North Yorkshire conducting research to support the development of their crime and disorder reduction strategies.

I am married to a police officer, have a daughter, a step-son and a dog, and in my spare time I run a local dancing school for children.

Robert Greaves, Vice-Chair

Position: Head of Crimewatch (Community Safety) Programme, Wandsworth Council since 1989.
Qualifications: MA (Cantab) RIBA, MCIOB, MBeng

Experience: I have 14 years’ experience in Community Safety and over 28 years’ in local government. Having changed from a career as a Chartered Architect at management level in 1989 to my current position, I combine project management and design skills with extensive knowledge and expertise in Community Safety. I currently head a Division of over 20 and manage a budget of around £3m. The Division has 2 Chartermarks and is accredited for Investors in People.
Former chairman (1989) and Board member of Wandsworth Safer Cities Project (1989-1993); former chairman of the then London Boroughs Association’s Crime Prevention Advisors Group (1991-1993); a policing adviser to the Association of London Government (1993-1997); currently a member of the Local Government Association’s Community Safety Advisers Group (1994 to date). I have served on Home Office working groups on Vehicle Crime, Station Security, Information Sharing, and Neighbourhood Watch (as the LGA representative). I have lectured on Partnership at Bramshill Police Training College.

Key Achievements: At Wandsworth, key achievements include the introduction of CCTV (1990); the development, with the private sector, of Omnidata (1992), a support Unit for Neighbourhood Watch (1992), Safer Stations (1992), crime mapping (1993), the first EU funded crime prevention conference in Europe (1995). At the LGA, I have served as a member of various working groups.

Views: I believe that Community Safety is still not widely understood or accepted, in spite of the efforts of the NCSN and others, and that there are significant tasks ahead in building greater understanding of the scope of what Community Safety practitioners do and in developing training and career development.

Mike Batty, Treasurer

I work for Stockton on Tees Borough Council as Head of Community Protection, which includes responsibility for Community Safety, Security, Youth Offending Service, Environmental Health, and Trading Standards & Licensing.
I have been with Stockton for five years, and have previously worked for five other local authorities, starting with Enfield in 1982, and progressing via Waltham Forest, Leicester, Rochdale and Easington.

I am a 'jack of all trades', with experience of housing, community development, and a range of leisure and community development services, plus some corporate policy work.
I believe that the great strength of the Network is that it is strongly rooted in grass roots practice, unlike some of the larger established professional institutes. This is an exciting time to join the Board, with the appointment of the staff team, which will obviously place new demands on Board Members, in terms of policy development, and adjusting relationships.

I also believe that it is essential to continue to build up the credibility of the Network with Whitehall, so that it can be used to get the views, experience and frustrations of practitioners heard by the upper echelons. In tandem with this, the Network needs to develop the skills and experience of community safety practitioners so that they can make a strong case for community safety amid the multiplicity of priorities and competition for resources which face local authorities and other public service agencies. Finally, I think it is important for the North East Region to be represented on the Board, because of the high levels of crime and disorder suffered by parts of the Region, and because of the good progress made in reducing crime and disorder in recent years.

Tony Shardlow, Meeting Secretary

Tony has worked with Nottinghamshire County Council on Community Safety issues since 1995 and has been a member of the Board of Directors / Trustees since 1998. During that time he has been involved in the establishment of a number of multi-agency partnerships across the county. Tony has responsibility for the management of the councils 'Acorn Initiative', an annual programme designed to initiate and fund new initiatives that impact on Crime and disorder in the county.

Tony is currently working on a range of projects designed to reduce youth disaffection and youth crime, together with a programme of work looking at how intergenerational activities can impact on the sense of community safety within local communities.

He is also organising an innovative approach to staff and member training on community safety awareness, using state of the art CD digital imaging.

Stephen Carr

Stephen is currently community safety manager for Cardiff and was community safety manager (formerly officer) for Blaenau Gwent from January 2003 until January 2006. He's a member of the Wales Association of Community Safety Officers (WACSO) and was the organisation's chair  for 2005/6, and also a member of the All Wales Community Safety Forum, co-ordinated by the Welsh Local Government Association in partnership with the Welsh Assembly Government and Home Office regional office, and the Wales Youth Crime Prevention Forum.  

Stephen is one of only four Home Office Advanced Associate Trainers (AATs) in Wales and one of only 30 across the UK. He is also acting as an advisor to Centrex and the Home Office regional office on the development of the new modular training framework for partnerships.

As community safety manager for Cardiff he is one of the key officers involved in the implementation of the first wave of Single-Non-Emergency-Number (SNEN) programmes and the development of a SNEN multi-agency community safety tasking process incorporating the National Intelligence Model (NIM) and Home Office approved problem-solving tools.  

Prior to becoming a community safety professional, he was previously managing director of Oasis youth diversion project in Merthyr Tydfil in 2002 and, until December 2001, had been a journalist for 16 years. Stephen has also been a public relations and marketing manager. However, his involvement in community safety dates back to 1991 when, as news editor of the Hereford, Leominster & Ross-on-Wye Journals, he was invited to become a member of Hereford City Crime Prevention Panel and Herefordshire Police/Community Liaison Committee.

Stephen was also chair of Merthyr Tydfil Crime Prevention Panel from May 2000 until January 2003.

Denise Casbolt

Denise Casbolt has had a career in crime for 16 years, always in the community safety/partnership context. She was based in communities whilst working for Nacro and her current position is Partnership Director of Barnsley Community Safety Partnership. Denise was Chair of the Board of Directors / Trustees from December 2003 until December 2006. As a Network member she has participated in the planning group for the production of the Community Safety Good Ideas Annual. She also represents Barnsley Councils Chief Executive on the LGA's Community Safety Advisory Group, and has participated in a number of strategic groupings in the town she works in, and in South Yorkshire.

She has passions about the work, which are - partnership development, inclusion of the community and voluntary sectors, young people and restorative justice. Densie also runs a home, is a wife and mother, adores chocolate, and sings.

Christine Graham

After working in the private sector for many years, I joined Peterborough City Council in June 1997, working firstly as a secretary to the European Officer and then as a Regeneration Officer. In September 1998, my manager asked me ‘to look after Community Safety for five weeks’ ..... and the rest, as they say, is history!

I began as Acting Community Safety Officer – the only officer in the authority working on community safety and progressed to Community Safety Manager, managing a team of 14 officers. Peterborough is a high quartile Partnership which brings its challenges but high crime is not necessarily synonymous with a poor partnership – we have a strong partnership which works very well together given the general ups and downs of partnership working. The close working relationship between Peterborough City Council and Cambridgeshire Constabulary is particularly noteworthy.

From July 2007 I will be moving, on a 12 month secondment to the Home Office 'Tackling Violent Crime Programme' team as a Fieldworker and will be working with partnerships in the North East, East Midlands and East of England. I am really excited about this new challenge which will allow me to broaden my experience and horizons.

I have enjoyed serving the Network over the past few years and have been closely involved with the organisation of the annual conference.

When I am not working, as well as being mum to my 17 year old son and wife of my long suffering husband, I enjoy gardening and going to the theatre, along with membership of a local church.

Paul Harrison

Paul is the Head of Safer and Stronger Communities department at the London Borough of Ealing. He has been involved with public protection and Community Safety for most of his working life. Primarily, as a Police Officer, then after his retirement from the force, in a local authority environment; he has worked in this field in Northamptonshire, Tower Hamlets and Kent before taking up his current role at Ealing.

As a Community Safety Officer he initially specialised in Hate Crime in all its forms; his expertise in this area has seen him working at a national level. Paul also holds an interest in the subject of Domestic Violence against men. An acknowledged expert in the field, his expertise has been sought across the USA and Canada where he has lectured and ultimately helped set up organisations to support male victims.

Paul is currently working towards raising the profile of the SAM (Systematic Abuse of Men) project, which is a unique programme specifically aimed at male victims, along with the Home Office. He is regularly invited to speak at local and national conferences and his expertise is frequently requested for input into the national agenda.

Paul holds a Masters degree in Criminology and is the author of seventeen internationally published books, with a further three due out this year. He describes himself as ‘motivated’ and ‘positive’ in all he does and he is relishing the opportunity to help develop the entire subject of Community Safety through his role on the NCSN board and working with fellow practitioners.

Michael McCrory

Currently employed as Community Safety Co-ordinator with Magherafelt Area Partnership in Northern Ireland, Michael's main role is to introduce the concept of community safety to the community by developing a Community Safety Partnership and supporting its work and projects.

Michael maintains that Community Safety has a very wide definition, and is also involved in establishing and managing Towns Partnerships to involve agencies and community groups in managing their towns in the district. He also manages the CCTV system.

Previously, Michael worked with various community groups throughout the province. The main part of his work was to introduce interagency working in solving community problems.

Andy Mills

I was appointed community safety co-ordinator for Leeds City Council in 1994. Until 1999 I was the sole community safety employee; now I have responsibility for 160 City Council staff within the crime reduction, public safety and community safety development sections of Leeds Community Safety.

Prior to working in Leeds I was assistant co-ordinator with the Home Office's Hull Safer Cities Project and previously worked for Humberside Probation Service and the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders. Whilst with the Home Office I became involved with the loose association of community safety officers which metamorphosed into the Network, of which I have been a member since its inception.

My interests include science fiction, music and supporting Hull City; the last possibly - until recently at least - explains my generally pessimistic disposition…

Andy Pownall

Currently working for Halton B.C., where I have been for 11 years, I co-manage our multi agency Community Safety Team which comprises of six Council employees and six Police staff.

My past posts include Housing management and Strategic Policy. During my time in Housing I attained an Honours Degree in Housing Studies and became a full member of the Chartered Institute of Housing.

I have worked in Community Safety for six years and have extensive knowledge of "what works" from both a Strategic point and, more importantly, within Local communities. I have spoken at several national conferences on Section 17 and Halton’s approach to Alleygating.

I presently chair the Cheshire Crime and Disorder Practitioner Group and vice chair the Government Office North West Community Safety Forum. I consider the experience of these two groups to certainly complement the ideals of the National Community Safety Network and the natural link is invaluable. I feel I can ensure that all these groups work together and reduce duplication, which in itself will progress the individual and joint initiatives of these bodies.

In conclusion I consider there is still a lot to be done in the field of Community Safety, new challenges and pressures are constantly being put on Community Safety Partnerships. It is our task to work with Partnerships and ensure that good practice is transparent and shared both regionally and nationally. Finally, I feel I can meet the challenge and already have the contacts to further the Network’s objectives specifically in the North West.

Grant Ardern, Vice-Chair

Grant is a Cheshire Constabulary, Community Safety & Race Relations Police Inspector, a post he has held since 1997 working in Warrington and Halton.

Currently working at the Halton Division he has helped the CDRP merge with the DAT, developed an independent Community Safety Team, and overseen the creation of 40 innovative projects, all of which have dramatically reduced Crime & Disorder and the fear of crime.

A wide range of experience as a Police Officer, Grant has managed re-active and pro-active police teams, formed and maintained a local Hate Crime Panel, and devised and delivered Diversity Awareness Training for multi-agency staff. He has also been Police Support Unit commander for several years. Grant sees his main contribution to the National Community Safety Network as that of Police representative. Using his experience to approach, advice and encourage Police organisations to engage in Partnership working, and to respond positively to new legislation and commitments which will enable them to fully realise the benefits from the opportunities available from the Community Safety field.

Some of his current work includes a Citizen Focus Policing project, delivering a Race Equality Scheme, and managing a Persistent & Prolific Offenders team.

John Curtis

John is Deputy Regional Director for Community Safety Government Office for the West Midlands (GOWM). He is responsible for ensuring that the regions CDRPs/DATs achieve their drugs prevention and crime reduction targets, including the Drugs Intervention Programme. He also has responsibility for the Home Office PSA targets on voluntary and community sector, race equalities and community cohesion. His new responsibilities include resilience and preventing extremism and terrorism.

Since joining the Home Office (HO) in 1989 as Coordinator of Wolverhampton Safer Cities Initiative, John has held posts at Government Office North West as HO Policy Adviser, ODPM implementing the Neighbourhood Wardens programme and the HO on regional and neighbourhood renewal policy.

Prior to joining the civil service John worked for a number of Local Authorities and a national voluntary organisation within the youth justice and social work field. He is also Chair of a local Children’s Charity

Conal Devitt

Conal Devitt was appointed as Head of the Community Safety Unit within the Criminal Justice Directorate of the Northern Ireland Office in June 2003.

Originally from Bangor, Conal has worked most of his life in local government in Scotland and England within the Education Service. His background is in youth work and community development and he has worked in Glasgow, London and Liverpool on Community Safety issues.

The Community Safety Unit was established as a result of the Criminal Justice Review and is charged with implementing a Community Safety Strategy for Northern Ireland in partnership with a wide range of statutory, voluntary and private sector organisations. Key issues include violent crime, burglary and anti-social behaviour as well as reducing the fear of crime.

Melvin Hartley

Melvin Hartley is the new Board Advisor for the GOSE region, and Community Safety Partnership Manager, Spelthorne Borough Council.

I have recently arrived in the county of Surrey and appear to be gradually working my way round the Home Counties! Prior to my current appointment I have held over the last 5 years similar roles at East Hertfordshire and Test Valley in Hampshire.

I started my involvement with partnership working at the outset of the Crime and Disorder Act in 1998 when I was a community sergeant with Bedfordshire Police. I left the force in 2002 to specialise in the Community Safety field. Since then my work has covered most areas but I have particularly experience in Neighbourhood Wardens, CCTV, hate crime and the night time economy. I was Chairman of the Hampshire Practitioners Forum where I helped develop the Safer Stronger element of the Hampshire Local Area Agreement. More recently I have become involved in training other agencies in community safety and partnership working.

As the Regional representative for the GOSE area for NSCN, I hope that I will be able to be a voice for community safety practitioners directly to the GOSE community safety team. I know many of that team well and hope to establish a good working but robust and challenging working relationship with them. I aim in the first instance to arrange to visit the county meetings in the area to introduce NCSN and myself to community safety practitioners.

Professor Gordon Hughes

Senior Lecturer in Social Policy and Sub-Dean Research – Open University

My current research interest lies broadly in the exploration of the governance of public safety and the growing salience of appeals to ‘community’ in crime control, both in the UK and internationally, under late modern conditions.
I currently co-ordinate both the UK and European ‘Governance of Public Safety Research Networks’, under the auspices of the British and European Societies of Criminology. From October 2003 I will take a visiting professorship at the Criminology Department, University of Melbourne, Australia.
I have developed and taught a wide range of both undergraduate and postgraduate courses in sociology, criminology and social policy for over twenty years. Since joining the Open University in 1995 I have been a leading course team member and author of a number of undergraduate courses.

Tony Kehoe

In total Tony has 35 years of combined experience working within Community Safety in both Police and Councils. The experience, which covered both unitary and two-tier authorities, has provided a high level of knowledge of the work area and the associated skills.

In 2000 Tony became the Community Safety Manager at a large Unitary Authority where he was the Council's lead on Community Safety and managed the Community Safety Team, including Council, Police and Fire Officers. During this period he put in place a management and finance structure linking all Responsible Authorities and partners, capable of ensuring resources are directed at priorities and local areas. He also acted as the Council lead on the Safer Stronger Pillar of the LSP achieving 'Green Status' for 3 successive years.

Building upon original experience in the forming of the LSP, Tony coordinated the preparation and agreement of the Safer Stronger Block outcomes and actions for the Local Area Agreement including gaining additional funding of £4 million.

Tony was appointed as an Associate Trainer with the Home Office Crime Reduction Centre in 2001 and an Advanced Associate Trainer in 2002. He has delivered Community Safety training to a number of different agencies including Police, Councils, Community workers, Social Landlords and Fire Services and was a member of the national Skills 4 Justice working group establishing the standards for Community Safety training.

He now works as an Independent consultant with Ajio Community Safety.

William Munroe

William Munro is a Charter Civil Engineer and Chartered Town Planner. He started his career as a Civil Engineer with Grampian Regional Council Department of Roads.

As his career progressed, he became involved in the development of policy, assessing the traffic implications of new developments, he was responsible for feasibility studies for several major projects, including early studies in to the Western Peripheral Route. He was also very much involved in a road safety campaign on the A96 Trunk Road, developing a strategy for its improvement by low cost measures targeting problems which were contributing to road accidents. The Road Accident Investigation Unit at Grampian Regional Council was very successful in reducing road accident casualties, achieving accident reduction targets well ahead of many other Local Authorities.

When Local Authorities were re-organised in 1996, he was promoted to the newly created post of Area Manager for the Kincardine and Mearns Area of Aberdeenshire. The Council was keen to adopt a new way of working and appointed six Area Managers to oversee and co-ordinate all the Local Authority functions within these areas. Area Managers also lead new initiatives, work with all agencies in Community Planning and act as principal advisor to the Area Committee which is made up of local Councillors. This Committee deals with local decisions relating to the full range of Council services.

As an Area Manager he is a member of the Council’s Management Team and, as with other team members has a corporate role across the whole of the Council. William has therefore been involved in the Aberdeenshire Community Safety Partnership since its inception in 1998 and has chaired the Partnership for the last 4-5 years. It is a part of his work that gives great satisfaction and challenge. The Partnership has recently been restructured to fit with Community Planning and to reflect changed funding arrangements.

If you are interested in being involved with the NCSN either nationally as a Director, or regionally as a representative please contact Jan Pyne:
Tel: 01244 354090