BMBC 21: Barnsleys Local Area Agreement 2008-2011

IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN OURCOMMUNITIES: BY PROTECTING THECOMMUNITY FROM CRIME, DISORDER ANDOTHER RISKS TO SAFETYOVERVIEW OF THE OUTCOMEThis Outcome is focused upon the safety of people’s day to day lives asa prerequisite for improving the overall quality of lives of residents in theBorough. It includes a range of personal and community safety issues,with an emphasis on prevention, regulation, enforcement and treatmentas part of a balanced approach to the prevention and reduction ofcrime, disorder and other risks to people’s safety. Central to thisOutcome is community safety and the reduction of crime and disorder,encompassing crime, fear of crime, anti-social behaviour and drugrelated issues, which has been the subject of an excellent track recordof partnership working for a number of years. This has resulted in apositive impact on actual crime and an increasing recognition that antisocialbehaviour and fear of crime are now more significant challenges,often experienced disproportionately by certain vulnerable groups.Arson, domestic abuse and alcohol related disorder also continue torepresent key risks to the population of the Borough.Improving road safety remains a high priority, as the numbers of peoplekilled or seriously injured in Barnsley, though reducing, remains toohigh. More recently, the significance of emergency preparedness andcivil protection arrangements have taken on a new level of importancegiven the impact of the 2007 and 2008 floods in the Borough and thecontinued threat of terrorism nationally.CrimeOverall crime is reducing within the Borough, particularly vehicle crimeand burglary, with people generally feeling safer and more secure.These are the results of a multi–agency approach to tackle the causesof crime and also to address offending in a more coherent and efficientmanner.Anti-Social BehaviourAnti-social behaviour, both actual and perceived, remains a priorityconcern for residents in Barnsley. Providing services that deal withactual problems, whilst addressing negative public perceptions, arecrucial to achieving an improved quality of life, particularly forvulnerable groups. Such perceptions are influenced by a number offactors, including views about parental responsibility and feelings thatindividuals do not necessarily treat one another with due respect.Moreover, if the Police and Council are to be recognised locally asdealing effectively with key issues of concern, the public must beinvolved in identifying and agreeing local service priorities.There are now well established Safer Neighbourhood Teams in everyarea of Barnsley, which are coterminous with the Area Forums andArea Boards. Members of the public can access a wide range ofservices that these teams offer and contribute to improving their ownlocalities.41Improving the Quality of Life in Our Communities: By Protecting theCommunity from Crime, Disorder and Other Risks to SafetyBarnsley’s Local Area Agreement 2008-11