Extract from the ‘Not Another Drop’ Campaign

The Not Another Drop campaign, aimed at reducing gun crime in Harlesden, was launched in February 2001 with a hard-hitting poster showing a young black man lying in a pool of blood under the words 'Young, Gifted and Dead'.

Since then the joint initiative between Brent Council and the Metropolitan Police has seen a remarkable 23% reduction in gun crime in the area. In the 18 months prior to the start of the campaign 12 people were seriously injured and eight people killed following shootings in Harlesden, incidents that led to the district being dubbed the 'gun capital of London'.

"Not Another Drop was born out of a unique collaboration between the council, the police and the local community", explains Councillor Ann John, Leader of Brent Council. "As well as being concerned about the unacceptable level of gun crime, the community was upset about the way their area was being described. So far it's been a great success, but we can't afford to be complacent. We hope the impact of the campaign will force the people behind these terrible attacks to stay away from our area forever."

The two-year publicity campaign is part of the Home Office-funded Harlesden Targeted Policing Initiative (HTPI) which consists of a number of locally based projects aimed at reducing the levels of violent and gun-related crimes in the Harlesden area.

Other HTPI projects include:

BEARS (Brent Education and Recreational Services) Youth Challenge

An organisation with a history of success in preventing youngsters from getting involved in crime. This project is targeted at those most likely to drift into the gun/violence culture.

Ringmaster

An email system that enables the quick distribution of crime-related information to a database of community contacts. Translated messages allow the partnership to rapidly pass information about incidents and requests for assistance.

Young Black Male Project

This support group aims to promote self-confidence and esteem among disaffected 13-15 year olds, while turning them away from negative sub-cultures.

Joint Intelligence Unit

The collection and distribution of intelligence from a central database to facilitate the targeting of police operations to tackle violent crime in Harlesden.

(The central database being used is the INTEC, InCheck System)

Community Problem Solving Panel

An independent panel of local people, advising the Police and Brent Council on key community issues. The panel reflects the area's diverse ethnic communities and is not controlled by the police or the council.

Brent Victim Support

Additional funding will allow the expansion of the organisation's services to a wider audience of victims of violent crime and their families.

Not Another Drop consists of a series of posters, postcards, badges and community events aimed at drawing attention to the gun-crime problem and encouraging local people to be part of the solution. A campaign song, written and perform by rap group Nuh Fear Dem, is due to be released on CD early next year.

One of the campaign's key objectives has been to strengthen the partnership between Brent Council, the police and the community. As Chief Superintendent Ian Carter, Police Commander for the London Borough of Brent put it: "The main message is that we want to build on the already excellent relationship we have with the community in Harlesden. With the help of local people, this campaign will put us in a good position to rid the streets of these thugs with guns."

As well as helping to push the issue of addressing gun-crime up the local community's agenda, Not Another Drop has also gained nationwide media attention. Its impact has been marked by a host of awards including the PR Week Corporate Social Responsibility Campaign of the Year and the Institute of Public Relations (Local Government Group) Excellence in Communications award.

PR Week editor, Kate Nicholas, who was a member of the magazine's awards judging panel said: "This was a brave campaign, spurred by research into citizens fears, its strategy formulated through the use of focus groups and its results measured in terms of behavioural change and real benefits to quality of life."

If you have any information on gun-related crime, you can contact: Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or send information anonymously to: FREEPOST NOT ANOTHER DROP or you can email: notanotherdrop@hotmail.com If you would like a free campaign badge shaped as a tear drop of blood, a copy of the CD or further information send an SAE to: The Communications Unit, Room 9, Brent Town Hall, Forty Lane, Wembley, Middlesex, HA9 9HD Tel 020 8937 1025. Alternatively email: notanotherdrop@brent.gov.uk