Aim: To create safe neighbourhoods.

Overall, the level of crime and disorder in the Borough is lower than the national average, but crime is not evenly spread. High crime levels are found in North Shrewsbury - over 33% of burglaries, theft and drug related offences are recorded in this area. It would seem sensible, therefore, to focus action on those neighbourhoods with greater than average risk of crime and disorder.

Important Issues to address

• Relatively high levels of drug and alcohol related crimes in some areas.
• Dangers caused by traffic.
• Conflict within neighbourhoods.
• Children's safety whilst at play.
• Fear of crime.
• Support for the victims of crime and anti-social behaviour.
• Domestic violence.
• Relatively high levels of car crime and vandalism in some areas.
• Racism.
• Arson.
• Fire safety in the home.

Key Objectives

• To target drug related crime by reducing access to drugs, improving drugs education and supporting the work of the Drug Action Team.
• To raise awareness and action around road traffic accidents, particularly near children's play spaces.
• To develop neighbourhood arbitration schemes to help resolve problems.
• To develop Home Zones where the neighbourhood takes priority over the car.
• To take a wide view of community safety by looking at all the factors that may influence anti-social behaviour e.g. housing, health care, employment etc. so as to create confident communities.
• To increase the number of 'quiet lanes'.
• To target alcohol related crime.
• To develop cultural programmes that address community safety issues.
• To develop a neighbourhood safety approach to crime and anti-social behaviour.
• To provide support for the victims of crime and anti-social behaviour.
• To examine innovative ways to police communities. Whilst anti-social behaviour orders do have a role in community safety, 'softer' options should not be overlooked.
• To promote neighbourhood and business watch schemes as an effective method of community safety.
• To establish a 'safe and tidy play spaces scheme' whereby areas where children play are inspected and cleaned regularly and any repairs needed are identified and carried out quickly.
• To begin to implement some of the actions identified by the domestic violence strategy group.
• To reduce car crime and deal with abandoned cars promptly.
• To reduce vandalism.
• To tackle racism.
• To reduce the number of fires started deliberately (arson fires).
• To improve fire safety in the home.
• To support the Youth Offender Team strategy.
• To develop new incident coding for youth related nuisance and disorder.
• To develop joint policies for invoking orders under the Crime and Disorder Act, 1998.
• To support joint working arrangements between the planning service and the police architectural liaison officer (ALO).

Actions

• Form a multi-agency drugs management group to co-ordinate activities aimed at reducing drug and alcohol related crime and disorder within the Borough by delivering a three year Communities Against Drugs programme from 2003-2005.
• Raise awareness and promote road safety campaigns and initiatives which aim to reduce the dangers posed by traffic to children and young people, both by targeting young people themselves and also by targeting the places they frequent.
• Develop a neighbourhood arbitration scheme by April 2004.
• Support the 'Home Zone' pilots in Shrewsbury, evaluate their effectiveness and explore additional areas where this approach may be effective by April 2004.
• Establish a multi-agency task group to promote multi-racial harmony and to develop a strategy to tackle racist behaviour by April 2003.
• Undertake 2000 fire safety checks in people's homes during 2002.

Future Community Involvement

Although we have tried to involve as many people as possible in putting this strategy together, it is unlikely that we have managed to reach everybody. Over the coming year we will involve the community in further development of the strategy 

Monitoring

To include:

Links to other strands of the strategy

• Health.
• Social inclusion.
• The environment.
• Transport.

Partners in Delivery

• Business Watch
• Choices Drug Awareness Project
• Community Council of Shropshire
• Community Development Organisations
• Community Groups and Associations
• Crown Prosecution Service
• HM Prison Service, Shrewsbury
• Licensed Victuallers Association
• Neighbourhood Watch
• Parish Councils
• Police Force Area Consultative Group
• Residents' Groups and Associations
• Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council
• Shrewsbury and Atcham Community Safety Partnership
• Shrewsbury Police and Community Consultative Group
• Shrewsbury Retail Security Forum
• Shrewsbury Town Centre Management Partnership
• Shropshire and Staffordshire Strategic Health Authority
• Shropshire County Council
• Shropshire County Primary Care Trust
• Shropshire Drug Action Team
• Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service
• Shropshire Magistrates Court Committee
• Shropshire Probation Service
• Shropshire Race Equality Council
• Shropshire Social Services
• Shropshire Youth Service
• Social Landlords
• Students' Unions
• Through the Doorway Healthy Living Partnership
• Victim Support
• Voluntary Groups and Organisations
• West Mercia Police
• Youth Groups and Associations
• Youth Offenders Team