Medium Cost Interventions
8. Guardian Programmes
Deploying trained individuals - often community volunteers, youth workers, or uniformed personnel - to act as visible proactive deterrents patrolling public spaces to help deter crime through their engagement.
Tackles the concept that a crime occurs when a motivated offender encounters a suitable target without a capable guardian. Aims to not only reduce crime, but reduce fear of crime, enhance community cohesion, and increase informal social control
Training per volunteer: £100-£250 (materials, sessions, background checks)
Uniform & equipment: £50-£150 per person
Insurance & admin: £20-£50 per volunteer per annum
Community-wide rollout: £10,000-£50,000 depending on scale.
Planning & stakeholder engagement: 1-2 months
Recruitment & training: 1 month
Pilot implementation: 3-6 months
Full rollout: 6-12 months
Training: £100-£250 per volunteer, one-off per new volunteer, with optional refresher training available
Uniform and equipment: £50-£150 per volunteer (one-off, with some replacements needed in time)
Insurance & admin: £20-£50 per volunteer per year
Annual Maintenance Cost: £1,000 - £22,500 for community-wide rollout,
Effectiveness
Research shows guardian angels are especially effective in reducing property crimes, sexual violence, and anti-social behaviour. Research shows a 15% reduction in property crime in patrolled areas and a 20-30% increase in perceived safety throughout residents.
Routine Activty Theory posits capable guardians disrupt crime events, where guardianship interventions show statistically significant reductions in crim ewhen implemented consistently.
Particularly effective in hotspots according to research