Commissioner Henry alongside partners from Nottinghamshire Police and Newark and Sherwood District Council
A £375,000 project to prevent neighbourhood crime, antisocial behaviour and violence against women and girls in Newark has had a positive impact.
The Safer Streets security upgrades in the town included new street lighting to make people feel safer at night, new intercom safety systems at a number of blocks of flats to prevent uninvited visitors and new gates to stop access to antisocial behaviour hotspots.
A gym safety scheme, nights of action and vehicle crime prevention events were among some of the of the other Safer Streets initiatives delivered in partnership between the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Nottinghamshire Police and Newark and Sherwood District Council.
In the area of Newark town centre where the action was taken, there was a 26% reduction in vehicle crime, a 19% drop in house burglary and a 16% fall in violence against women and girls.
This was during the last six months of the project, between April and September 2023, compared to the three-year average for the same period between 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20.
Newark’s Safer Streets project was delivered by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire, in partnership with Nottinghamshire Police and Newark and Sherwood District Council, with funding from the Home Office.
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry said: “I’ve spent a lot of time in Newark over the past several years with the policing team, and speaking to members of the public about their concerns so I’ve seen first hand the positive impact these interventions have had on public safety, which is what Safer Streets is all about.
“Working with our colleagues at Nottinghamshire Police and Newark and Sherwood, we identified interventions that would not only make people safer in public spaces – but feel safer too.
“We’ve had some great feedback about the difference the measures have made and we hope that they will leave a lasting legacy that will continue to support our partners’ ongoing hard work to prevent crime and antisocial behaviour in Newark."
Residents of who benefitted from the new intercom systems at Tithe Barn, Lover’s Lane, and Queen’s Court were among those who said they felt safer. They allow tenants at the council-owned buildings to use their landlines or mobile phones to open their door and if they have the system set up on a mobile phone, they can view who is at their door through a video stream.
A tenant from Tithe Barn said: “Being able to see who’s at the door makes me feel safer. I can open the door from my home and don’t have to go downstairs now to let visitors in.”
An innovative Safer Gyms scheme has also been developed in Newark, where members pledge to protect the safety of women and girls who work out at their venues. This is due to be rolled out in the near future.
A number of nights of action were also held as part of the Safer Streets scheme, to reduce the risk of people being exposed to violence in the night-time economy, by educating them about the risks of mixing cocaine and alcohol.
New gates were also installed in St Marks Place to stop antisocial behaviour in its tracks. It has previously been subject to drug use, urinating, and graffiti, leaving residents and workers in the area feeling unsafe.
Councillor Paul Taylor, Portfolio Holder for Public Protection and Community Development at Newark and Sherwood District Council said: “I am thrilled to see the positive impact the Safer Streets funding has one again had for our local residents and businesses.
“Everyone deserves to feel safe and secure as they enjoy time in our district and the measures we have been able to implement, including, amongst others, security door entry systems, new CCTV, gating, lighting and Violence Against Women and Girls training, are a vital part of tackling anti-social behaviour and creating a Newark and Sherwood we can be proud of.
“Anti-social behaviour can have a devastating effect on victims and the community, and we will continue to invest in the safety and security of our district and work effectively alongside our partners, to do so.”
Newark was one of a number of areas to benefit from Safer Streets investment after the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner secured a total of £3 million from the Home Office for projects across Nottinghamshire, which were delivered with police and local authority partners. The town has also benefitted from previous rounds of Safer Streets funding, with a combined total of more than £1 million being spent on public space safety projects in the town.
Posted on Monday 6th November 2023