Please find below details of some of our recent work. If you would like a copy of any of these reports, please use the links to email us a request. In order to receive a free copy of our reports, you will need to be a member of Perpetuity Contacts, this will also enable you to keep up to date with all our latest publications via our monthly newsletter. It will also entitle you to special offers and discounts on training courses and conference places. (Please note we will not sell or rent these details outside the Perpetuity Group.)
Procurers noted that one of the problems for the security sector (and a criticism of it) was that it did not show how it added value and therefore tended to be viewed as an unwelcome cost. Thus the second year of the SRI focussed on the extent to which security could and does add value. Against a background where there is surprisingly little information on just how much value security brings to clients the study highlights the various methodologies that can be used to highlight value and security professionals' own views on their contribution to the company.
Specifically the research focussed on the economic advantages of using security; models that can be used for calculating impacts on the bottom line, and a model is presented to guide future practice.
On the back of this work the three supporting associations the British Security Industry Association, The Security Institute, and ASIS International have come together with Security Management Today to launch the 'Best Value for Business' campaign, highlighting the ways in which security can and does add value. This will include monthly features in Security Management Today to further the aims of the campaign.
The SRI has produced two reports on Procurement of Security. The first contains findings from a research study focussing on those engaged in the buying decision. It raises some interesting findings not least that the security sector believe that procurers often do not get best value for the money they spend. Procuring security is not an everyday exercise and so on the back of these findings, the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) worked with Perpetuity to produce a briefing guide for procurers. SRI members had an input and the second document that can be downloaded is an 'Introduction to Purchasing Security'
The Guide will help procurers with the key elements of procuring security including advice on what should be included in Service Level Agreements and example Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
In addition some of the key issues that undermine the purchase of effective and appropriate security are tackled, including:
Whether those that quote the minimum price can deliver on all aspects of the contract.
What you can get from a good supplier that you will not from a bad one.
The nature of security risks and the precise impact that security measures can make.
The benefit of using accredited suppliers.
The need to check the veracity of tender documents.
Why an overarching security strategy is important.
Retail security officers can make a major contribution to an efficient, profitable and safe retail environment however their deployment does not guarantee a crime free store. This summary report outlines key issues that impact upon the effectiveness of uniformed retail security officers. The findings are based on a study sponsored by retail clients and their suppliers. The study involved interviews, group discussions and questionnaires with store managers, retail security officers and senior and middle managers from retail and security companies.
This provides a summary of the findings from a research project looking at the economic and efficiency benefits to the police and the wider criminal justice system of a CCTV system in Milton Keynes. The study found a wide range of benefits, some of which were costed to determine a return on investment. It is clear that CCTV offers a variety of economic and efficiency benefits to the police and the wider criminal justice system.
If you would like a PDF copy of the Executive Summary of this report, please click here to send us an email request stating which report you would like a copy of.
This report was produced by Professor Martin Gill and a team of researchers from the University of Leicester for the Home Office and evaluates 13 Closed Circuit Television Camera (CCTV) projects (comprising 14 separate systems) implemented in a range of contexts, including town centres, city centres, car parks, hospitals and residential areas. The projects were funded under Phase 2 of the Home Office CCTV Initiative. The report is available from the Home Office website at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/hors292.pdf (756KB). Other Home Office Reports on CCTV by Professor Martin Gill and the University of Leicester include: Gill, M., Spriggs, A., Allen, J., Hemming, M., Jessiman, P., Kara, D., Kilworth, J., Little, R., and Swain, D. (2005): Control Rooms: Findings from Control Room Observations, Home Office Online Report, London: Home Office. www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/rdsolr1405.pdf (308KB). Gill, M., Spriggs, A., Allen, J., Argomaniz, J., Bryan, J., Hemming, M., Jessiman, P., Kara, D., Kilworth, J., Little, R., Swain, D. and Waples, S. (2005): The Impact of CCTV: Fourteen Case Studies, Home Office Online Report, London: Home Office. www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/rdsolr1505.pdf (684KB). Gill, M., Spriggs, A., Allen, J., Argomaniz, J., Bryan, J., Jessiman, P., Kara, D., Kilworth, J., Little, R., Swain, D. and Waples, S. (2005): Technical Annex: Methods Used in Assessing the Impact of CCTV, Home Office Online Report, London: Home Office. www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/rdsolr1705.pdf (476KB). Spriggs, A., Gill, M., Argomaniz, J. and Bryan, J. (2005): Public Attitudes Towards CCTV: Results from the Pre-Intervention Public Attitude Survey carried out in areas Implementing CCTV, Home Office Online Report, London: Home Office. www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/rdsolr1005.pdf (352KB). Gill, M., Swain, D., Spriggs, A., Allen, J., Argomaniz, J. and Waples, S. (2005): Assessing the Impact of CCTV - The South City Case Study, Home Office Online Report, London: Home Office. www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/rdsolr1105.pdf (184KB). Gill, M., Little, R., Spriggs, A., Allen, J., Argomaniz, J. and Waples, S. (2005): Assessing the Impact of CCTV - The Hawkeye Case Study, Home Office Online Report, London: Home Office. www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/rdsolr1205.pdf (240KB). Gill, M., Allen, J., Spriggs, A., Argomaniz, J. and Waples, S. (2005): Assessing the Impact of CCTV - The Northern Estate Case Study, Home Office Online Report, London: Home Office. www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/rdsolr1305.pdf (176KB). Gill, M., Rose, A., Collins, K., (2005): A good practice guide for the implementation of redeployable CCTV, Home Office Online Report, London: Home Office. www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/rdsolr1605.pdf (372KB).
This paper reports on an evaluation of the town centre CCTV scheme in the London Borough of Lewisham. The study was conducted in 2003 and 2004, and looked at the scheme’s operation in the years 1996 to 2004. The evaluation was conducted by a mixture of process evaluation (examination of the implementation and management of the scheme) and impact evaluation (measurement of any effect attributable to the scheme).
In 2008, Bedfordshire Drug and Alcohol Action Team (B:DAT) commissioned Perpetuity to undertake an alcohol needs assessment. The main aim of the assessment was to gather a body of evidence to inform the development of a local alcohol strategy. The needs assessment invited contributions from local professionals, service users and significant others who commented on current alcohol treatment service provision covering education/prevention and treatment, with a particular focus on gaps in services and recommendations for improvement.
The findings of the needs assessment provided B:DAT and its local partners with a body of evidence to inform the development of a local alcohol strategy. Some of the key recommendations to emerge from the study have provided a foundation on which local partners can commission a treatment system that is built on evidence based practice.
PRCI conducted a review of the relationship between domestic violence and substance misuse, and examined current procedures and support structures in Warwickshire for the five Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships.
If you would like a PDF copy of the Executive Summary of this report, please click here to send us an email request stating which report you would like a copy of.
Although much is known about drugs markets across the United States this is not necessarily wholly applicable to the UK and there is a requirement for further research into dealing. PRCI were awarded a contract to deliver a consultation exercise with a sample of drug dealing offenders in the East Midlands. While there was no intention in this study to answer all of the gaps in knowledge, it is hoped that the insights provided from these findings will help our understanding of how the drugs supply market operates in the UK and will inform future strategies to reduce short-term demand.
If you would like a PDF copy of the Executive Summary of this report, please click here to send us an email request stating which report you would like a copy of.
Researchers from PRCI gathered the perspectives of a number of drug and alcohol users and offenders to help understand the level of need for housing support considered essential to the effective rehabilitation and resettlement of users and offenders.
The study found that there is a need to not only ensure that sufficient accommodation is accessible to drug and alcohol users and offenders, but also to ensure that they are provided with appropriate support to help them to maintain their tenancies to prevent homelessness in the first place.
If you would like a PDF copy of the Executive Summary of this report, please click here to send us an email request stating which report you would like a copy of.
This needs assessment for Bedfordshire Drug and Alcohol Action Team (BDAT) was undertaken to inform the young people’s specialist substance misuse treatment plan, submitted to the National Treatment Agency (NTA) in January 2008. As part of this work Perpetuity assisted with treatment mapping to assess the substance misuse needs of young people in Bedfordshire and collated local documentation including service reviews, service level agreements (SLAs), local plans, strategies and inspection reports to identify strengths and weaknesses in local service provision. Although largely a desk based study, the research included some feedback from local services and young people. The report was accompanied by a national good practice review, to provide an overview of ‘what works’ in the delivery of universal, targeted and specialist drug and alcohol treatment services for children, young people and families. This was used to inform recommendations to improve the planning and delivery of young people’s substance misuse services in Bedfordshire.
If you would like further information on this or any other work undertaken by Perpetuity please contact Michelle Duffin by email m.duffin@perpetuitygroup.com
This needs assessment and service gap analysis for Bedfordshire Drug and Alcohol Action Team (BDAT) was undertaken to inform the adult substance misuse treatment plan, submitted to the National Treatment Agency (NTA) in January 2008. This was largely a qualitative piece of work to support the treatment mapping and bullseye analysis undertaken in-house by the DAT. The research involved consultation with local service providers, commissioners and service users to obtain feedback on the management and delivery of adult drug treatment services in Bedfordshire. Service users were provided with a user friendly summary report providing details of the research findings and the next steps that would be taken locally to respond. The final report presented to the DAT provided a series of recommendations to inform the key priorities for 2008/2009. If you would like further information on this or any other work undertaken by Perpetuity please contact Michelle Duffin by email m.duffin@perpetuitygroup.com
This main purpose of this study was to consult offenders to provide an insight into how they get hold of the information that they use to commit identity fraud with a special focus on using paper based documents e.g. utility bills, bank statements, birth certificates etc. By consulting victims the aim was to get their perspective on how their details were stolen and used.
Offenders in this study adopted a range of approaches to commit identity fraud using paper based documents which proved valuable to those who used stolen identities to apply for credit cards, mobile phone contracts and in some circumstances higher level fraudulent activities.
A second report based on follow-up interviews with fraudsters has been published. The work was undertaken for Protiviti and includes interviews with a range of different types of fraudsters, including those who committed passport frauds and were caught when leaving the country, a fraudster who adopted identities, and theft from employers including someone who stole from a school and two who stole from a casino. They were influenced by family and friends who taught them how to steal, and were driven by a variety of motives including debt and an inability to handle money, and some were fleeing from persecution. The report builds on work undertaken for Protiviti and published in 2005, all the case studies in this second report are completely new.
This report is based on a brief review of the response to identity theft in the EU, the Netherlands, France, Germany and the UK. In particular the report focuses on what the current status in law regarding identity theft is in each country, what individual governments are doing to highlight the issue with individuals/businesses and what estimates have been made/assessments done as to the extent of the current problem.
The findings show that identity theft is a serious issue across Europe, primarily in the UK and the Netherlands. Although there are some measures in place to address it much work is being carried out in isolation without proper co-ordination. The report calls for more awareness raising among the residents in the European Union as well as greater co-ordination of responses to identity theft and fraud. If you would like a PDF copy of this report, please click here to send us an email request stating which report you would like a copy of.
The report is based on interviews with 16 convicted offenders. The main focus is on people who have stolen large sums from organisations with which they are connected (usually those that they are employed by). Listening to what they have to say facilitates insights from a different perspective, and it is hoped that highlighting offenders’ experiences and the reasons for their successes and failures will provide learning opportunities for organisations.
A new report is recommending all consumers be given access to one free credit report per year in order to combat identity theft, one of the UK's fastest growing crimes.
The report, Identity Theft and Fraud: Learning from the USA was written by leading criminologist Professor Martin Gill and commissioned by Capital One. Professor Gill suggests that free annual credit reports would enable consumers to monitor their accounts and take action as appropriate.
Professor Gill's report looks at how the UK might better tackle the growing issue of identity theft by appraising measures introduced in the US.
The Safer Hospitals Project is part of the SaferSchools and Hospitals Project (SSHP) which is part of a Treasury funded initiative under the Invest to Save Budget (ISB). The aim of the project is to create five showcase sites with an integrated technology approach to increasing safety and security and reducing crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB).
The project was run by the Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB), part of the Home Office Crime Reduction and Community Safety Group. At the strategic level the project operates within the Home Office purpose of working with the community to build a safe and just society, reducing crime and the fear of crime by supporting strong and active communities at the heart of which hospitals often preside.
If you would like a PDF copy of the Executive Summary of these reports, please click here to send us an email request stating which report you would like a copy of.
Bad behaviour and truancy are two of the biggest challenges facing schools today; research shows that there are positive relationships between attendance at school and academic performance and powerful evidence that those who are not in school are easily drawn into crime and antisocial behaviour (DfES, 2002). Furthermore, in a number of schools, the behaviour and attendance of some pupils can disrupt others, reducing the educational opportunities for all. Tackling truancy and bad behaviour in schools is therefore crucial to improving levels of attainment for all pupils, improving their life chances and improving our communities as a whole.
In Autumn 2003, PRCI was requested by NASUWT to conduct research into the experiences of classroom teachers in the first phase of 34 Behaviour Improvement Programme areas. If you would like a PDF copy of this report, please click here to send us an email request stating which report you would like a copy of.
Based upon the findings obtained from the research study below into violence and indiscipline in schools, PRCI was invited to undertake a national research study of the professional development of Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs). Part of the research agenda was to survey NQTs with respect to their level of preparedness for entering the teaching profession. In particular, the research study sought to establish views and perceptions of NQTs from across the UK surrounding the management of classroom behaviour and to offer the opportunity to become involved in a five-year longitudinal study to track the professional development of a number of NQTs from their initial point of entry into the teaching profession. The purpose of this is to examine the development of skills in managing pupil behaviour, and strategies used to help resolve problem behaviour throughout the course of a career in teaching.
Two stages of the study released so far. If you would like a PDF copy of one of these reports, please click here to send us an email request stating which report you would like a copy of.
PRCI were commissioned by NASUWT to undertake a scoping study to inform a national plan to develop a comprehensive research programme on violence and indiscipline in schools within the UK.
If you would like a PDF copy of this report, please click here to send us an email request stating which report you would like a copy of. Hard copies are available directly from the NASUWT.
This report presents the findings from the second phase of a five year longitudinal study started in the Evaluation of the Professional Development of Newly Qualified Teachers (NQT), on behalf of the NASUWT. The study involved two parts: firstly tracking the professional development of 30 recently qualified teachers throughout the initial points of entry into the teaching profession using one-to-one interviews; secondly new and recently qualified teachers were surveyed to identify any change in attitudes and perceptions. In particular the report explores new and recently qualified teachers experiences and responses to poor pupil behaviour, their levels of preparedness and attitudes towards teaching, satisfaction with and experiences of training and job satisfaction. The final report will be released in 2009.
As part of the Every Child Matters guidance, public funded bodies must now demonstrate how children and young people participate in the design, delivery and evaluation of the services they use. Leicestershire YOS commissioned Perpetuity to consult with young people and their parents/carers to understand how best to actively engage them in the planning and commissioning of substance misuse services. The YOS was also provided with key findings on service users’ experience of the service they received, their awareness of services, as well as recommendations for improvement in a succinct report.
Shoplifters across three continents have been filmed by academic researchers for the first time as they recreated their crimes. The report, ‘Shoplifters on shop theft: implications for retailers’ offers fascinating insights into how thieves say they steal and provides retailers with insights that can help them tackle shoplifting. The report looks at the ‘decision circle’, the six key stages at which thieves make decisions about their stealing. The report outlines the different ways in which retailers inadvertently help thieves. For example, thieves were able to find plenty of blind spots in store to disguise their stealing, and staff were often disinterested in them and this made things easier, and there was a lack of effective exit controls. This international study found that although countries and stores may vary, shoplifter approaches are remarkably similar and they use very similar techniques to avoid being detected by alarms, tags, cameras and guards.
Following the work done on the illicit market (below), PRCI conducted further work into the structures that companies put in place to protect their brands and identify practices that can be used to carry the fight to illicit market operators, as well as the benefits that can accrue to organisations that take action suggested as appropriate by careful assessment of risk.
One of the key issues in understanding how to reduce opportunities to commit crime is to understand the offenders' perspectives. This small-scale project is based on interviews with just six people who admitted to committing over one thousand offences, between 52 and 88 of these offences were committed at ATMs mostly 'muggings' or robberies. The findings provide insights into the decision making processes of those committing ATM crimes, and provide intelligence and potential learning opportunities to inform improved protection methods. Although this was small scale the findings are instructive.
There are all sorts of things that can be attached to goods to make them more difficult to be tampered with, to render them less susceptible to theft or counterfeit. The simplest idea is to attach some form of label or marking that indicates who the owner/seller is, that way if it is found by someone else it can be returned, or identified as lost or stolen.
The aim of the project reported here was to conduct a study to assess the effectiveness of property marking on Fast Moving Consumer Goods. The focus here was very much on labels although as will be shown, other types were considered. It is not an experimental project, nor a large one, but by assessing the perspectives of different experts, as well as those involved in the buying and selling of goods, the objective was to develop an understanding of the value placed on property marking by different groups.
This summary report presents an overview of findings from a research project conducted by PRCI on behalf of The Gillette Company. It concerns the global market in stolen fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and presents a strategic response that involves manufacturers, distributors, law enforcement and consumers. If you would like a PDF copy of the Summary Report, please click here to send us an email request stating which report you would like a copy of.
Little is known about the true nature and extent of staff dishonesty as many retailers are reluctant to admit that they have a problem and few have systems in place that enable them to detect the level of loss they have suffered. This study is based on interviews with 35 dishonest staff who had been dismissed from two large retailers; the aim being to build a greater understanding of offenders' experiences of workplace offences and to help fill these gaps in knowledge. More specifically the study was designed to explore issues such as what motivates staff to commit dishonest acts, what skills and resources are used, how security systems in place within the stores in which staff work are perceived and how staff manage these risks. Interviewees in the study had been dismissed for a range of offences including misuse of discount cards, theft of goods and taking cash from the till. The study found that debt and financial problems were key motivations for staff dishonesty, and taking expensive items from the warehouse was considered to be an easier offence than stealing items on the shop floor, largely because there was less security. Attitudes towards security were mixed. For example a lack of adherence to policies and procedures generated opportunities for dishonest staff and the lack of CCTV coverage in some warehouses were identified as a weakness.The findings provide some useful insights to help retailers increase the likelihood of detection and to deter employees from stealing.
To request a PDF copy of this report please click here.
In early 2007 Perpetuity evaluated violent crime in Bolton town centre. The evaluation provided the local Community Safety Partnership with insights into the management of both the day time and night time economy and assessed the effectiveness of the current approach to tackling violent crime. More specifically the evaluation had four key aims:
To identify how different violent crime reduction projects work in the town centre.
To evaluate how effective individual projects are at addressing the problems of violent crime in the town centre.Manage and reduce the risks to staff, data, premises and equipment.
To evaluate the overall strategic response to violent crime and how individual projects fit into the strategy.
To identify any aspects of the violent crime problem that are not being addressed.
This study involved a systematic review of the literature and research pertaining to knife crime in the UK. It was found that a wealth of information was available but often this was contradictory, inaccurate and misleading. Perpetuity produced a review thatidentified the reliability and credibility of all data sources relating to knife crime, highlighted gaps in knowledge and provided recommendations on how to progress towards obtaining a comprehensive and measurable understanding of knife crime in the future.
Please click here to download a PDF copy of this report from the Royal Armouries Museum website.
