Calderdale police team honoured at awards for their work to change the lives of young people

Successful schemes that reduce crime and transform lives for the better received national recognition at the 2021 Howard League Community Awards.

The prestigious awards are presented annually by the Howard League for Penal Reform to people and organisations whose innovative work helps to make communities safer.

In the policing and children category the early action team in Calderdale came runner up.

A very proud Insp Neil Taylor said: "As the Calderdale Partnerships Inspector, I want to share with you all the fantastic news of the Calderdale Early Action Team coming runners up in the National and Prestigious Howard League for Penal Reform Awards for the 'Policing & Children Category'.

"I am extremely proud of every one of the team and must give a special thank you to Sgt Brandon Greenwood who has led and worked extraordinarily hard in taking the team from strength to strength in Calderdale who collectively have made a huge impact on changing the lives of our young people and transitioning them into successful adults.

"This result recognises the benefits of Early Action and recognises West Yorkshire Police investment in the Early Action approach to reducing demand and escalation. The catch and convict, or "they will come again" culture does not always target reasons why a young person offends.

"Early action helps to identify the cause and with the excellent partnerships that districts are forming we can target those causes with specially trained services. A special thank you to the Liaison and Diversion Service who are one of our most committed partners," he added.

From a high-quality field of nominations, 40 entries from England, Wales and Northern Ireland were shortlisted for this year’s awards, giving them the chance to promote their work on the national stage.

Frances Crook, Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “The Howard League Community Awards celebrate successful projects and pioneers who make our towns and cities safer by guiding people away from crime.

“This year’s awards are particularly important as they come at a time of great change, with parliamentarians currently scrutinising the biggest piece of sentencing legislation for two decades – proposals that will pile more pressure on prisons and do nothing to invest in community prevention or intervention.

“The success stories celebrated today are proof that we can change lives and reduce crime if we take the right path.”

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