Crest Advisory

Crest Advisory | Making the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee Work Crest Advisory was commissioned by the Dawes Trust to research how best to implement the Government's Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee - a commitment to deploy 13,000 additional neighbourhood officers...

The disconnect is stark. Police officers told us they prioritise walking beats but community members say they rarely see officers.

Our research identifies what forces can do to better meet public expectations. Read out report here:

www.crestadvisory.com/neighbourhoo...

Between 2016 and 2024, neighbourhood officer numbers fell by 55%. The Government's plan to deliver an additional 13,000 neighbourhood officers, PCSOs and Special Constables is welcome, but implementation will determine success.

Communities want neighbourhood police who are visible and engage directly with local residents. This sounds straightforward, but our research reveals barriers to delivery.

This research suggests that VFR can provide a faster response to domestic abuse victims, while delivering similar levels of victim satisfaction as a business as usual response.

🔹Mostly positive safeguarding measures for VFR victims
🔹Mixed impact on arrest rate and time
🔹Victims would choose VFR again

📌 Key Findings:
🔹VFR can speed up response times for domestic abuse victims
🔹VFR may improve the quality of risk assessments

Evaluation of video first response to non-emergency domestic abuse calls for service | College of Policing The summary report of the evaluation of video first response to non-emergency domestic abuse calls.

We are very pleased that our joint evaluation of video first response (VFR) to non-emergency domestic abuse calls with the College of Policing has been published.

www.college.police.uk/guidance/vio...

Signals of something deeper: what fear of crime really tells us In this blog, published alongside a new paper commissioned by the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods (ICON), Manon Roberts and Sophie Davis argue that it’s not the incidents themselves that matt...

In our new blog, published alongside the report, we argue that it’s not incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour themselves that matter most but what they represent: that no one is in charge, that social norms are eroding and that the fabric of everyday life is under threat.
tinyurl.com/2hpfbr3y

This report calls for a neighbourhood-based approach to tackling crime and antisocial behaviour, grounded in evidence that strong community relationships — alongside enforcement — are essential to creating safer places. It sets out five areas of action to support this goal.

🔹Social cohesion and trust can act as protective factors, particularly in areas of disadvantage.
🔹Crime and ASB matter to communities — they act as wider signals of neighbourhood decline.

Key findings:
🔹Crime is heavily concentrated and persistent in areas of multiple disadvantage
🔹Disadvantage and instability reinforce each other, weakening community control.
🔹The built environment shapes both risk and resilience.

Why place matters: neighbourhood effects on crime and anti-social behaviour Crest was commissioned by the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods (ICON) to explore how neighbourhood-level approaches can be better harnessed to reduce crime, and in particular, to tackle anti-s...

Crest Insights has published a new report, commissioned by @iconeighbours.bsky.social on why neighbourhoods must be at the heart of crime policy — both as spaces where crime is experienced and as sites of potential solutions.

www.crestadvisory.com/post/why-pla...

Child First Day - exploring evidence and practice A dynamic and practical webinar designed to deepen understanding of the Child First evidence-base and decision-making framework approach.

There’s still time to join the YJB’s Child First Day webinar at 2:30 today (20th August), where Jess will be sharing insights from our research on applying the Child First framework in youth justice services.

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/child-firs...

As part of our YJB commissioned research, we engaged children directly via a national survey to understand their experiences at their youth justice service, and to build evidence on how the tenets of the Child First framework translate into practice.

Listening to Children: how we researched the Child First framework Consulting perspectivesJess Hull, Senior Strategy & Insight ManagerWednesday 20 August 2025To mark the YJB’s Child First Day (20th August), we’re sharing some key insights from Crest’s recent research...

To mark the Youth Justice Board's Child First Day today, our new blog by our Senior Strategy and Insight Manager Jess Hull explores key insights from Crest’s recent research on how the Child First framework is applied in youth justice services.

www.crestadvisory.com/post/listeni...

In his foreword, Sir Stephen Kavanagh, former Executive Director of Police Services at INTERPOL, puts it plainly: “The criminal threats have moved on – and we haven’t.”

Key recommendations:
◆Launch a tech-driven offensive to disrupt full criminal operations
◆Impose cross-border sanctions on criminals and complicit financial institutions
◆Deploy coordinated international sting operations to cut supply chains

We propose a bold new strategy: a Five Eyes-style Serious Organised Crime Alliance, built to dismantle entire networks, not just chase individuals in a game of whack-a-mole.

Our research shows how serious organised crime has evolved from old-school mobsters to complex, multinational criminal enterprises that rival legitimate high-growth businesses.

A New International Approach to Beating Serious and Organised Crime A New International Approach to Beating Serious and Organised Crime

New report out today: A New International Approach to Beating Serious and Organised Crime – a collaboration between Crest Advisory and The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.

Read the full paper here: institute.global/insights/pub...

How can the Crown Prosecution Service better support victims of crime?

Crest Analyst Helena Procopis reflects on our work helping the CPS deliver more timely, empathetic and effective support through the Victim Transformation Programme.

🧵Read more: www.crestadvisory.com/blog/helping...

Our partnership allows Police Now officers the opportunity to gain a broader understanding of the criminal justice system beyond operational policing - and it gives our staff the chance to learn valuable insights from frontline practice to enrich policy and strategy development.

Neighbourhood Policing: Reflections from the frontline Crest Advisory is proud to be a partner of Police Now, hosting officers on month-long secondments. Working on consulting and think tank projects gives Police Now officers the opportunity to gain a bro...

In our latest blog, Police Now neighbourhood officer Carys reflects on her time at Crest and the government’s new Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee.

Read the blog below: www.crestadvisory.com/post/neighbo...

🔹Shoplifting incidents have hit a 20 year high
🔹Fraud reports continue to rise - now making up nearly half of all crime
🔹There are small but consistent falls in violent crime - but overall figures remain high
🔹A new way of measuring VAWG highlights the scale of the issue

Latest crime stats show shoplifting at 20 year high The latest crime figures were published by the ONS yesterday. Below are Crest’s four takeaways

This week the Office for National Statistics published the crime statistics for the year ending March 2025. What key changes to crime do they show and what do they mean for policing?

Read our blog here: www.crestadvisory.com/post/the-lat...

YouTube video by youthjusticeboard Applying the Child First framework in youth justice services’ webinar - YJB & Crest Advisory

On 10 July we hosted a webinar with the the Youth Justice Board to discuss our new report on applying the Child First framework across youth justice services in England and Wales. Thank you to everyone who joined.

If you missed it, you can watch the webinar here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rguu...

This aligns with work Crest has long championed. In our latest blog, we explore what needs to happen to make OOCRs work in practice — and why public confidence will be critical to their success.

While much of the early focus and debate has centred on proposals to restrict jury trials, some of Leveson’s other recommendations are just as radical. By emphasizing out-of-court resolutions (OOCRs), he could deliver faster, bigger relief for the system.

Leveson courts review: turning ambition into action Yesterday marked the publication of Part 1 of the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts in England and Wales, led by Sir Brian Leveson.

Yesterday marked the publication of Part 1 of the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts in England and Wales, led by Sir Brian Leveson.

Read out new blog here: www.crestadvisory.com/post/leveson...

Applying the Child First Framework in youth justice services Overview of Crest Advisory’s new research on how youth justice services are operationalising the Child First Framework in practice.

⏰Last chance to register!

Join us and the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales today to explore how the Child First framework is being applied in youth justice services and how the YJB can support youth justice services.

Sign up here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/applying-t...