Archived decisions

Contact : Jill Lovelock Ext 7591/Emma Gordon Ext 6011

1. Summary

1.1. This report recommends endorsing District partnership community safety strategies for the following District councils:

Basingstoke & Deane

East Hampshire

Eastleigh

Fareham

Gosport

Hart

Havant

New Forest

Rushmoor

Test Valley

Winchester

1.2. It also identifies the priority themes in the strategies and the role of the County Council in implementing the actions.

2. Background

2.1. The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 placed duties on local authorities to develop crime and disorder reduction strategies or community safety strategies in conjunction with statutory partners in their area. In two tier areas, the County Council, District Council and the police were equal statutory partners. The Police Reform Act 2003 introduced primary care trusts and fire authorities as statutory partners as well as encouraging closer working links with the drug action teams and between the individual community safety partnerships. The partners must perform a local crime audit, consult on the results and prepare and publish a community safety strategy. The strategies run for a period of three years.

2.2. The County Council is now a well-established partner in the development of these strategies, this being the third round of audits in which the council has been involved. The County Council made a contribution of £5,000 to each District partnership to aid the audit process in this round.

2.3. The Partnerships have celebrated some success in delivering their 2002-2005 strategies. The following are just a few examples of their achievements:

· The Basingstoke and Deane Partnership has made good progress in tackling antisocial behaviour through effective partnership working in its multi-agency Problem Solving Group.

· The Eastleigh Partnership has helped bring about a steady decline in violent crime in the area over the past three years and hopes to bring about further reductions in the forthcoming three year period.

· Fareham achieved a 20% reduction in vehicle crime and developed the role of a multi-agency Domestic Violence Coordinator.

· Havant Partnership has succeeded in closing a number of `drug dens' in partnership with the police, Havant Borough Council, Local Registered Landlords and the courts.

· The New Forest Partnership has shown a good record in taking positive action at domestic disputes and has developed education and awareness programmes through the Domestic Abuse Forum.

· Rushmoor has made significant progress with most of the actions in its last strategy, including the installation of a new Borough-wide CCTV system and the appointment of Neighbourhood Wardens in two areas of the Borough.

2.4. The community safety strategies support Aim 4 of the Corporate Strategy and Theme 1 of the Community Strategy - Strong and Safe Communities - through working with Hampshire's communities and other partners to build strong, safe and sustainable communities. They also support several targets in the new Public Service Agreement (PSA) under the Priority Helping people feel safe, which fall under the following themes:

· Reducing violence in public places.

· Reducing the reconviction rates of young offenders with convictions for violence.

· Reducing the incidence of fires that are classed as `deliberate' by fire and rescue services.

· Increasing the percentage of residents who feel safer.

· Reducing the percentage of school age children who have had personal experience of being a victim of crime in the last 12 months.

· Reducing the number of killed and seriously injured people on Hampshire's roads.

2.5. County Council input to the strategies has been through Member and Officer involvement on District Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs), which have been responsible for producing the strategies.

3. Strategies

3.1. The Executive Member for Community Development and Regeneration should formally endorse all eleven partnership strategies, to fulfil the County Council's role as a statutory partner for each partnership. This decision is included in the Council's forward plan as a key decision. This report deals with strategies from 11 district councils and copies of each strategy are held in the Chief Executive's Policy Unit.

4. Key themes and issues

4.1. Basingstoke & Deane Partnership

4.1.1. Key themes and issues for 2005-2008:

3 main thematic priorities:

· Reducing levels of overall crime.

· Tackling antisocial behaviour.

· Reducing fear of crime.

Within these themes, the Partnership will focus on the following areas:

· Tackling substance misuse (alcohol and illegal drugs).

· Managing Prolific and Priority Offenders (PPOs).

· Reducing crime by, and against, young people.

· Implementing a communications strategy and engaging with communities (situational and social crime prevention).

4.1.2. The following examples show how Basingstoke & Deane's strategy links with County Council strategies and targets:

· Theme 1 of the Community Strategy: the Partnership's communications strategy and its engagement with the community will help to encourage an environment in which people feel safe and are actively involved.

PSA targets:

· Through developing a borough alcohol harm reduction strategy and action plan, the strategy supports the County Council's target to lower the level of violence in public places.

· The Partnership's Prolific and Priority Offenders Action Plan should contribute to a reduction in reconviction rates of young offenders.

· The Partnership aims to reduce non-accidental fires by 18% by 2008.

· Work on community engagement and a managed communications strategy should help to reduce fear of crime. Using `self-reported' crime as reference (crimes which are reported to the police), the Partnership aims to reduce by 15% the number of incidences of people experiencing or witnessing antisocial behaviour.

· The Partnership will set targets year by year to reduce the number of young offenders in the borough.

4.2. East Hampshire Partnership

4.2.1. Key themes and issues for 2005-2008:

· Antisocial behaviour.

· Fear of crime.

· Drugs and alcohol.

· Environmental issues and encouraging community pride.

· Reducing crime.

4.2.2. The following examples show how East Hampshire's strategy links with County Council strategies and targets:

· Theme 1 of the Community Strategy: The Partnership aims to develop opportunities for local consultation through local residents' groups and other fora.

PSA targets:

· The Partnership will work with Trading Standards to target those businesses selling alcohol to under-age people.

· The Partnership aims to work towards a 5% reduction in the reconviction rate of those supervised in the Hampshire Probation Area by 2006.

· East Hampshire aims to reduce the number of deliberate fires by 10% by 2010.

· Research amongst young people regarding their fear of bullying and becoming a victim of crime is to be carried out by the Partnership.

4.3. Eastleigh Partnership

4.3.1. Key themes and issues for 2005-2008:

· To reduce crime in the borough of Eastleigh.

· To significantly reduce the impact of the activity of identified prolific and other priority offenders on crime within the borough of Eastleigh.

· To reduce antisocial behaviour.

· To prevent and reduce youth crime.

· To reduce drugs and alcohol misuse.

· To reduce violent crime.

· To reduce all forms of hate crime and to look after vulnerable people.

· To reduce the fear of crime and to raise public reassurance in the work of the Partnership.

4.3.2. The following examples show how Eastleigh's strategy links with County Council strategies and targets:

· Theme 1 of the Community Strategy: The Eastleigh Partnership aims to create an environment in which people feel safe by running frequent public community safety events and improving links with local media in order to increase the public perception of safety.

PSA targets:

· A range of initiatives to tackle antisocial behaviour and violence in public places are outlined in the strategy. These include high visibility police patrols of antisocial behaviour hotspots and the restriction of sales of alcohol to underage people, using existing powers such as Trading Standards.

· The Partnership will establish a Prolific and other Priority Offender Programme which aims to reduce reoffending across a range of crimes.

· As part of their first year's action plan, the Partnership aims to reduce arson via a fire education programme.

· The Partnership aims to provide a range of support for victims of hate crime, including a Youth Crime Victim Support lead by the Youth Offending Team and the Youth Service.

4.4. Fareham Partnership

4.4.1. Key themes and issues for 2005-2008:

Four main priorities:

· Acquisitive crime - burglary and vehicle crime.

· Antisocial behaviour including criminal damage and arson.

· Illegal drugs.

· Alcohol abuse.

Alongside these priorities, the Partnership will consider the following themes:

· Fear of crime.

· Young People.

· Community involvement.

· Prolific and other Priority Offender strategy.

4.4.2. The following examples show how Fareham's strategy links with County Council strategies and targets:

· Theme 1 of the Community Strategy: The Partnership aims to promote community involvement in crime and disorder reduction projects and will monitor participation at such events.

PSA targets:

· The Partnership aims to make a reduction in the number of violent offences linked to licensed premises.

· Fareham Partnership will undertake projects to reduce the number of young people becoming victims or perpetrators of crime. Changes in perceptions of young people's behaviour in the Borough will be monitored through a resident survey.

· Arson has been highlighted as a priority within the Partnership's aims to reduce antisocial behaviour.

4.5. Gosport Partnership

4.5.1. Key themes and issues for 2005-2008:

The Partnership has identified the following strategic priorities:

· Criminal damage and antisocial behaviour.

· Acquisitive crime.

· Drug and alcohol misuse.

· Violent crime.

· Hate crime; domestic abuse and vulnerable victims.

In addition, the following cross-cutting priorities should be considered in the context of each priority area:

· Fear of crime.

· Juvenile crime.

· Prolific offenders.

· Victims of crime.

4.5.2. The following examples show how Gosport's strategy links with County Council strategies and targets:

· Theme 1 of the Community Strategy: The Gosport Partnership will involve communities and citizens in determining how communities are policed, and will introduce neighbourhood policing.

PSA targets:

· The Partnership will develop a Nightbus service and investigate other methods of transport to disperse people from the town centre to prevent alcohol-fuelled violent crime caused by the night time economy.

· The Partnership aims to engage 80% of young people who are at risk of becoming future prolific offenders in targeted intervention programmes to prevent future escalation in their antisocial and/or criminal behaviour.

· The Partnership will support the development of the Arson Reduction Group.

· High visibility patrols including Police and Accredited Community Safety Officers will help to reassure the public.

4.6. Hart Partnership

4.6.1. Key themes and issues for 2005-2008:

· To reduce antisocial behaviour.

· To build safer and stronger communities, reducing the fear of crime.

· To reduce the harm caused by drugs and alcohol.

· To work with young people, reducing their likelihood of becoming a victim or offender.

· To reduce levels of crime and disorder.

4.6.2. The following examples show how Hart's strategy links with County Council strategies and targets:

· Theme 1 of the Community Strategy: Hart Partnership intends to design improved mechanisms for community consultation, including increased consultation with minority groups.

PSA targets:

· Hart Partnership will work with licensees to stop the sale of alcohol to those under the age of 18.

· The `prevent and deter' strand of the Prolific and Priority Offenders programme will be employed to help prevent young people from offending.

· The Partnership will introduce a warden programme and make greater use of intelligence to hot spot and target criminal damage and arson.

· The Hart Partnership will tackle the fear of crime using regular PR and community consultation events.

· Hart Partnership intends to enhance education for young people in crime, disorder and antisocial behaviour related issues.

4.7. Havant Partnership

4.7.1. Key themes and issues for 2005-2008:

· Crime.

· Violent and hate crime.

· Drugs and alcohol.

· Offender and victim management.

· Quality of life.

4.7.2. Havant's strategy is very high level strategically and individual actions have not been presented in the document. However, annual action plans should be prepared which detail the precise nature of the work the Partnership intends to undertake, to complement the strategic document. At this stage, indications of the targets the Partnership hopes to attain are outlined in Havant's Statement of Agreed Outcomes for the Safer and Stronger Communities Fund.

These would link to County Council strategies and targets:

· Theme 1 of the Community Strategy: By 2008, the Havant Partnership hopes that 70% of people questioned in surveys feel that they can influence decisions in their area and be involved in decision making.

PSA targets:

· The Partnership aims to reduce overall crime by 20.5% by 2008, to include violent crimes such as criminal damage and common assault.

· The Partnership aims to achieve a 10% reduction in fear of crime through the delivery of the CDRP Media Strategy.

· The Partnership will increase its use of antisocial behaviour legislation and enhance the facilities of the Antisocial Behaviour Unit in order to reduce antisocial behaviour and reassure the public.

4.8. New Forest Partnership

4.8.1. Key themes and issues for 2005-2008:

· Reduce the impact that drugs and alcohol have on crime in the community.

· Reduce the impact of the most serious instances of reported antisocial behaviour incidents in the community.

· Reduce the impact of reported personal crime on the community.

· Reduce the impact of reported property crime on the community.

· Reduce the number of injuries caused by vehicle collisions within the community.

· Improve community reassurance and communication to promote community cohesion and understanding.

4.8.2. The following examples show how New Forest's strategy links with County Council strategies and targets:

· Theme 1 of the Community Strategy: the New Forest's communication and public reassurance programme supports this theme.

PSA targets:

· The Partnership will target substance misuse (drugs and alcohol) in young people and use better intelligence to maximise the number of actions taken against offenders. It will also focus on reducing assaults against people in public places.

· The Partnership aims to help residents feel safer by delivering various projects aimed at reducing antisocial behaviour and, consequently, fear of crime.

· The Partnership will encourage safer driving through a programme of awareness and enforcement work.

4.9. Rushmoor Partnership

4.9.1. Key themes and issues for 2005-2008:

· Reassuring the public by making people feel safer.

· Reducing the level of crime and disorder.

· Reducing drug and alcohol related crime and criminality.

· Reducing the number of young people committing crime and supporting young victims of crime.

4.9.2. The following examples show how Rushmoor's strategy links with County Council strategies and targets:

Theme 1 of the Community Strategy: The Partnership will increase opportunities for community engagement and aim to improve the perception of young people in relation to crime and antisocial behaviour.

PSA targets:

· A system to identify venues where underage people are acquiring alcohol is to be developed with an aim of subjecting 100% of identified venues to enforcement action.

· The partnership will implement a new multi-agency approach towards communications relating to crime and disorder and antisocial behaviour involving young people in order to promote a more balanced view of crime and disorder in the area and, consequently, reduce the fear of crime.

· The Partnership aims to identify a system for identifying and tackling arson and, through this, achieve an 8% reduction in deliberate fires by March 2008.

4.10. Test Valley Partnership

4.10.1. Key themes and issues for 2005-2008:

· Reduce the number of people whose lives are affected by the effects of alcohol abuse.

· Improve the quality of life for residents and businesses through tackling antisocial behaviour.

· Reduce the number of people whose lives are affected by the effects of drug abuse.

· Reduce the number of crimes committed by young people.

· Increase support for victims of hate crime.

· Improve communications through a planned programme of media involvement.

4.10.2. The following examples show how Test Valley's strategy links with County Council strategies and targets:

· Theme 1 of the Community Strategy: the Partnership aims to improve the quality of the local environment through targeting antisocial behaviour and running programmes to improve the cleanliness and safety of communities.

PSA targets:

· The Partnership aims to reduce the number of sales of alcohol to under 18s through the enforcement of licensing laws and promoting the use of Proof of Age cards.

· The Partnership intends to use the Prevent and Deter stage of the Prolific and Priority Offenders programme to help prevent offences.

· Early intervention to tackle deliberate fire setting is an aim for this Partnership.

· The Partnership will help to reduce the fear of crime through a programme of public reassurance and awareness campaigns.

· A programme to support young victims and witnesses is to be developed.

4.11. Winchester Partnership

4.11.1. Key themes and issues for 2005-2008:

· Creating a safe and enjoyable evening economy.

· Creating communities that feel safe.

· Fighting crime through better partnership working.

· Being tough on antisocial behaviour.

· Firm and speedy reaction to criminal activity.

4.11.2. The following examples show how Winchester's strategy links with County Council strategies and targets:

· Theme 1 of the Community Strategy: The Partnership will provide information and professional expertise to groups undertaking local crime reduction projects.

PSA targets:

· The Partnership will target licensed premises which sell alcohol to people who are already `in drink' and to those who are below the legal age to drink in licensed premises.

· The Partnership aims to target Prolific and Priority Offenders and known offenders to reduce incidences of reoffending.

· By ensuring that all significant planning applications are passed to the Architectural Liaison Officer for review and the Community Safety Partnership for information and comment, the Partnership hopes to `design out crime' in the Winchester area, making residents feel safer in their environment.

5. Conclusion

5.1. The District Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships have made good progress in delivering their 2002-2005 strategies. Many successful projects started during the past three years will be further developed between 2005 and 2008 in order to support themes and priorities in the new strategies.

5.2. The common themes emerging from the 2005-2008 strategies so far are:

· Reducing the fear of crime and improving communications with the public

· Antisocial behaviour

· Alcohol and drugs

· Crime by and against young people

· Hate crime

5.2. Subject to the endorsement of the strategies, further more detailed work will be undertaken to analyse how County Council departments should input to the delivery of local strategies.

Recommendation

1. That the Executive Member for Community Development and Regeneration endorses the Community Safety Strategies for:

· Basingstoke & Deane Partnership

· East Hampshire

· Eastleigh Partnership

· Fareham Partnership

· Gosport Partnership

· Hart Partnership

· Havant Partnership

· New Forest Partnership

· Rushmoor Partnership

· Test Valley Partnership

· Winchester Partnership

for the period 2005-2008.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

1. Published works

2. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

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