Agencies in North Tyneside have come together to set out how they plan to deal with crime and disorder issues.
Recent data shows that North Tyneside remains one of the safest places to live in the country – and organisations in the borough are determined to keep it that way.
Leading figures from the public and private sector, who form the Safer North Tyneside Partnership Board, have outlined their plans to keep communities safe and great places in which to live, work and visit in a renewed strategy.
The board includes representatives from the council, police, fire service, health organisations, rehabilitation teams and probation service.
And at a meeting of North Tyneside Council’s Cabinet last night (November 26), members heard about the updated Community Safety Strategy, as well as the many successes of the partnership.
Cllr Carole Burdis, cabinet member for Community Safety and chair of the Safer North Tyneside Partnership Board, said: “Reducing crime and disorder is a key priority not just the council but for our partners, too. We all have our part to play in keeping North Tyneside safe and the partnership is a great way to bring us together to look at how we do so.
“The strategy provides a focus for the partnership’s work – it is designed to address and capture any complex and cross-cutting issues to ensure we’re addressing the key priorities that members of the public expect and reflect those set out by both the Police and Crime Commissioner and the Elected Mayor.
“The development of the new strategy has also involved a comprehensive consultation with the public and different partners and I’d like to thank everyone who provided their views.
“It is important to reiterate to residents that North Tyneside is one of the safest places to live and our Residents’ Survey demonstrates that people feel safe and enjoy living here.”
Priorities of the strategy, which covers 2019 to 2024, include coordinating and supporting work to safeguarded people in the community; exploring the link between alcohol and drug misuse in relation to crime and disorder; overseeing the production of emergency plans and response arrangements; dealing with environmental issues such as dog fouling and fly-tipping and more.
The partnership is proud of its previous successes, some of which include creating a victim support scheme; implementing mobile CCTV cameras to be deployed whenever necessary; improving access to support for victims of domestic abuse; supporting people targeted by of hate crime; supporting the young mayor to launch an anti-bullying campaign in schools; and commissioning local charities to support the national Prevent agenda.
Chief Superintendent Janice Hutton, from Northumbria Police, said: "We are fully committed to working with partners to address concerns raised by the communities we serve.
“We appreciate the impact crime and disorder can have on residents and businesses and we all have a role to play in tackling these issues and helping to prevent offences from happening in the first place.
“We have already seen a number of successful initiatives launched and by working together I am confident we can build on these to ensure everyone feels safe.”
Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Dame Vera Baird QC, added: “Addressing local residents’ concerns is one of our main priorities and they are set out in the Police and Crime Plan.
“Northumbria Police have worked closely with North Tyneside Council to put in place initiatives that tackle issues such as anti-social behaviour. These initiatives have been successful and we will continue to do all that we can, working with partners to ensure North Tyneside remains a safe place to live and work.”
Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service Station Manager, Jeff Boath commented: “We are pleased to be able to work together with partners to keep North Tyneside safe. Helping to reduce the impact of anti-social behaviour is a key priority for all of us”
Adrian Dracup, Safeguarding Adult Lead for NHS North Tyneside Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said: “The CCG is committed to ensuring that appropriate health services are available for residents across the borough. This includes services to support victims of crime and disorder, as this can have a significant impact on an individual’s health and wellbeing.”
The strategy will now be considered by Full Council on 17 January 2019.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 places a duty on local authorities and the police to work together with key partners and organisations to develop, publish and implement a community safety partnership strategy that aims to tackle crime, disorder, substance misuse and reoffending within the community.