The Safer Hastings Partnership’s Violent Crime Focus Group is delighted with the recent success of cutting violent crime in Hastings & St Leonards by 4.4 per cent.
At the end of 2002, it was predicted that violent crime in Hastings & St Leonards would increase by about 9 per cent year on year. So the focus group aimed to keep it at the same level and stop any increase. Instead it has seen a reduction of 77 incidents in 2003/04 compared to 2002/03.
The chairperson of the Safer Hastings Partnership’s Violent Crime Focus Group, and local Youth Offending Team worker, said,
“I’m thrilled that violent crime is coming down and that we’ve exceeded our target. Working together, we have set up a number of projects, and these latest figures show that we are making a difference.“
The focus group set up several initiatives to reduce violent crime in Hastings & St Leonards, including Barwatch, a mobile CCTV police van, and screening all young people involved with the Youth Offending Team for substance misuse.
In addition to this, since October 2003, the partners have been able to provide intensive programmes of support for persistent young offenders. Council leader Cllr. Jeremy Birch said;
“We are committed to reducing crime and along with our partners at the Safer Hastings Partnership will build on our success. We want to drive out the fear of crime and give residents the safe streets and communities they deserve.”
An Anti-Victimisation Unit was also set up, and is operated by Sussex Police and East Sussex Social Services. Funding was secured for an Anti-Social Behaviour Coordinator, and a new form for reporting racial incidents has been developed.
Reducing crime and disorder is something we all want to see in our community. Everyone wants to feel safe in their homes, in their neighbourhoods, and on the streets.
Achieving these aims is no longer the responsibility of just one agency, such as the police, but now the Government requires local organisations to work together to improve the quality of life for local residents.
The Hastings Crime & Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) was set up in 1998 to tackle crime and the fear of crime in our town. It is led by six principal partners:
In April 2004, the Hastings CDRP was relaunched with a new, more user-friendly title: the Safer Hastings Partnership. The aim of the Partnership is to reduce crime and the fear of crime in Hastings & St Leonards and, in doing so, make a drastic impact on the quality of life for residents and visitors to the town.
The Safer Hastings Partnership has focus groups concentrating on particularly important areas of crime. These are: burglary, car crime, violent crime, drug & substance misuse, domestic violence, and anti-social behaviour. You can find details about what is being done to combat these areas of crime, as well as information about the local Warden Service and Shopwatch & Barwatch, by visiting www.saferhastings.co.uk
Neighbourhood Watch by Email is the latest way to provide information and advice on crime and how to combat it.
Email alerts feature regular crime updates from Sussex Police, advice on prevention and also messages from Trading Standards alerting subscribers to scams and rogue traders.
The scheme is free to join and supported by Sussex Police, the Safer Hastings Partnership and the Sussex Neighbourhood Watch Federation.
At present there are more than 2,000 homes linked to Neighbourhood Watch throughout Hastings and Rother.
Information passed onto police through crime aware households has helped net several perpetrators, leading to convictions.
All residents in Hastings have to do to join is send an email to Sussex Police at hastingsandrothernhw@sussex.pnn.police.uk
Following a Neighbourhood Watch by email appeal about two mountain bikes and one BMX that were stolen from the Farley Bank area on Tuesday 11th May, Hastings Warden Service was involved in the recovery and arrest of the 14-year-old perpetrator.
While patrolling their area, Ore Valley wardens spotted the suspects in possession of the two stolen mountain bikes.
They said:
“We know the youth in question and we know he doesn’t own a nice, shiny mountain bike, so we called the police after two other lads came up to us saying that the bikes belonged to them. We detained the suspect until the police arrived.”
Sussex Police praised the vigilance of the wardens, saying:
“This is an excellent example of the effectiveness of our Warden Service and the benefits of having Neighbourhood Watch by e-mail. Both make a significant contribution to the quality of life of residents and visitors to the town by reducing and preventing crime.”
The chair of the Hastings Neighbourhood Watch by email scheme, said:
“This is another good example of how the Neighbourhood Watch by email scheme, when combined with the excellent Warden Service, really makes a difference to the town.”
Barwatch celebrated its six-month anniversary on Friday, 21st May with double the number of members, an expansion beyond the town centre and central St Leonards, and a high number of banning orders.
Since the relaunch of the scheme on November 21st 2003, a total of 45 people have been barred from one and barred from all.
The Barwatch Coordinator, praised licensees, the Safer Hastings Partnership, Hastings Borough Council, Sussex Police and the Warden Service for their help in making Barwatch such a success.
She added:
“The licensees are working really hard to promote our evening economy and improve safety. Without their support and enthusiasm, the scheme wouldn’t work.”
Barwatch now has 64 members, with every bar in the town centre and central St Leonards signed up except one. Recently the scheme has attracted interest from licensees outside of these areas, and, at present, almost 45 per cent of members are from other areas, mainly Silverhill and the Old Town.
The owner of the Havelock and member of Barwatch, said:
“It’s been a great success and the radio link has worked superbly. If we get a problem in the pub, the radio link comes into its own because it’s a deterrent. Crime has dramatically come down in the town centre because people seem to be aware that we are all linked together now. It’s been a fantastic six months. It’s making the town centre a lot nicer place to come to.”
The Safer Hastings Partnership is leading the way by being the first partnership in the country to set up an action group targeting the town’s most prolific offenders.
At the end of March, Prime Minister Tony Blair announced a new action plan whereby partnerships across the nation will identify the small number of individuals who pose the greatest threat to safety and confidence in their local communities. The aim is to prevent and deter, catch and convict, and rehabilitate and resettle.
In response to this, the Safer Hastings Partnership became the first partnership in the country to set up a focus group to tackle prolific offenders. Representatives from all major local agencies and organisations came together for the focus group’s first meeting in May, where they analysed offender profiles and listed the 15 most prolific offenders in our town.
Community Safety Manager for Hastings & St Leonards, said:
“The Safer Hastings Partnership is delighted to be the first partnership in the country to tackle prolific offenders in a joined up way, working together.
The small minority of offenders who commit most crimes and damage to the quality of life of our residents will be our top targets. By dealing with these people, we hope to see an even more dramatic drop in crime than we have already experienced over the last year.”
Detective Chief Inspector added:
“We all know that a small minority of people cause a disproportionate amount of crime. This partnership approach to targeting these people is innovative and exciting, and will improve the quality of life experienced by the people of Hastings. This is another tool in our toolbox; another way to reduce crime in our area.”
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This page last updated: 24/08/2004