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Brent Council and Brent Police have launched the first project of its type in London which aims to stop former prisoners from re-offending and to help them settle back into the community by tackling housing and social problems faced by ex-offenders. The scheme will feature START project workers and officers from Brent Safer Neighbourhoods Teams jointly visiting the homes of offenders recently released from prison and living in the borough. START workers will offer support services such as accessing education and training, specialist health care, tenancy support, and helping them to live independently. Police officers will ensure community safety and assess the risk of the person re-offending. It will not be for the most serious offences such as sex offenders or prolific offenders, but those who have committed crimes such as driving offences, fraud, or shoplifting. Councillor James Allie, Brent Council's Lead Member for Housing and Customer Services, said: “This project is about promoting community safety by cutting the rates of re-offending by former prisoners. Sadly, we know that some offenders will go on to commit crimes again and we aim to stop that by offering training and employment opportunities or by helping them if they have a problem with a tenancy or housing. This project is not focused on the most serious offenders, but it will help to promote community safety in the borough.” Inspector Neil Anderson, from Brent Police Safer Neighbourhoods, said: "The ultimate aim of this scheme is to stop people re-offending. It uses the existing resources of both the local authority and the police to visit and support recently released prisoners returning to Brent who currently receive little or no help re-integrating into society and staying away from crime. From a police point of view local policing teams will know where ex-offenders are living within their wards. The START team will be able to offer support and help, ultimately leading to employment and independence. Keeping people out of the criminal justice system is cost effective as well as benefiting the individual and the wider community." The pilot project will be reviewed after three months, but it is expected to become a permanent scheme. | 
