Low-level offenders have accomplished 6 successful months of working in and for the community
Canterbury districts’ Community Payback scheme has reached last week the 6 month milestone and was very inspired marked by a graffiti clean-up session in Tankerton, Whitstable.
The scheme is co-run by Kent Probation and Canterbury Community Safety Partnership. It consists in involving low level offenders working in community, giving them at the same time the chance to gain new skills. Community Safety Manager, Doug Rattray thinks that this is a great way for young offenders to realize their mistakes and correct their future behaviour.
The local residents can easily recognize them working in the streets due to the bright orange high-visibility jackets marked ‘Community Payback’ they wear.
Also, the Community Payback teams participate regularly at Neighbourhood Tasking Group meetings, part of Canterbury Community Safety Unit, and seek solutions to local anti-social behaviour problems.
In the last 6 months the offenders have been helping at several local events, removing graffiti and painting at 15 locations.
Canterbury City Council’s Executive member for community safety, Cllr Peter Vickery-Jones was very happy with the progress made by the scheme: “Community Payback has been operating very well in the district and it is important we show residents that their neighbourhood has been improved as a result of this scheme.”
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