House burglary and vehicle crime dropped significantly in an area where £250,000 of security measures have been implemented.
Patrols by street wardens, a new Shop Watch radio scheme, CCTV and free home security devices are among a number of Safer Streets projects that have helped improve safety in public spaces in Netherfield and Colwick.
Combined with the ongoing work by Nottinghamshire Police and Gedling Borough Council, these measures helped reduce house burglary in the area by 57% and vehicle crime by 67%.
This was in the 12 months from October 2022 when the project started, compared to the previous three-year average.
In total there were just nine burglaries in the area in that year – compared to an average of 21 a year in the previous three years. And there were just eight vehicles crimes – down from an average of 24 a year.
Netherfield and Colwick’s Safer Streets project was delivered by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire, in partnership with Nottinghamshire Police and Gedling Borough Council Council, with funding from the Home Office.
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry said: “I’m really proud to have been able to bring this funding to Nottinghamshire and give that extra boost to the great work that Nottinghamshire Police and Gedling Borough Council are already doing to make our public spaces safer.
“The reductions in burglary and vehicle crime in this area show that it is safer now than it has been for some time – and hopefully that makes local residents feel safer too.”
Some of the key interventions in Netherfield and Colwick included employing Safer Streets wardens who patrolled the area to provide a high-visibility presence and help prevent crime and antisocial behaviour.
This included patrols of Victoria Retail Park, Colwick Industrial Estate and local residential areas. They gathered information for police on incidents including youths climbing on the roof of a local shop and throwing glass bottles.
A network of local shops, including those on Victoria Retail Park, were given free Shop Watch radios so they could work together to root out shoplifters and any suspicious activity in the area, as contact the Street Wardens or police officers.
Victims of burglary and household attacks in the area were also offered free home security devices, such as video Ring doorbells, CCTV, motion sensor lighting and door and window locks, to prevent repeat victimisation.
One of those to benefit from security upgrades was mother-of-four Tracy Hunt, of Carnarvon Street, Netherfield, who said she was finally able to sleep at night again after being left frightened by vandals who threw bottles through her living room window.
A 360-degree CCTV camera was also installed on the edge of the retail park, near the Sainsburys, off Colwick Loop Road, to deter car cruisers from causing noise and safety concerns to local residents.
The same type of camera was also installed in Balmoral Road, Colwick, to help tackle antisocial behaviour and support the new Public Space Protection Order which is active in the surrounding area.
New street lighting and community clean-ups were among some of the other interventions in the area.
Gedling Borough Council leader Councillor John Clarke MBE said: “These figures are very promising and we are really pleased to see crime going down in the area thanks to the partnership working with the Police and Gedling Borough Council.
“Reducing crime and anti-social behaviour was something this administration made a priority when we set out the council’s plan and vision for the next few years.
We want to thank the PCC for working with us on this ongoing initiative and while there’s still plenty more to be done, these preventative measures are working.”
One of the residents who had a positive experience thanks to Safer Streets was Tracey Hunt, who received free home security devices.
“It was about 10.45pm and I heard this bang. When I looked, somebody had thrown a glass bottle at the window and it had broken the outside window pane,” she said.
“Two hours later they came back and did it again and a Prosecco bottle came flying through the living room and it smashed right through.
“I slept downstairs until it was fixed because I didn’t dare go to bed. I didn’t leave the house because I was too frightened to go out. It just added to the extra stress that I was already going through with losing my partner.”
Posted on Friday 8th December 2023