BMBC 21: Barnsleys Local Area Agreement 2008-2011

Allied to this is the clear need to encourage and nurture tolerance fordifferent lifestyles within and between communities, to enhance feelingsof safety and generate greater local cohesion whilst improving theoverall quality of life of the public.Arson ReductionA key element of anti-social behaviour is deliberate fire setting. Around80% of all fires South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue attend are starteddeliberately. More serious arson incidents have been decreasing overthe past 3 years and this encompasses attacks on property andvehicles.However, anti-social behaviour fires have remained at a steady rate.The latter form the majority of arson incidents in the Barnsley area, withgrass and refuse fires accounting for a long term average of 80% of allanti-social behaviour fires. These represent a cost to society, and canbe a significant blight on local communities and businesses. Byworking in partnership, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue and the SaferCommunities Partnership have run a number of targeted preventativeschemes; for example diversionary and educational initiatives forchildren and young people to change behaviour and discouragedeliberate fire setting.Youth OffendingLocal concern about youth crime and anti-social behaviour continues tofeature prominently in local consultation and engagement practices.Barnsley’s Safer Communities and Children, Young People andFamilies Partnerships have been working towards achieving a balanceof enforcement and prevention activities which address youth crime,support the rehabilitation of young people by addressing key riskfactors, and through proactively targeting those children and youngpeople identified as being at risk of becoming involved in more seriousoffending or anti-social behaviour. In addition, much has been done topromote restorative justice approaches which give victims a voice in theyouth justice process.Domestic AbuseDomestic Abuse accounts for a quarter of all violent crime in Barnsley,but due to the fact that it is a hidden crime, there have been issues withaccurately monitoring the true level. Although significant progress hasbeen made, it is important that measures are taken to increaseconfidence in reporting incidents and to enable a co-ordinatedcommunity approach in support of victims and their families.Hate CrimeBarnsley has an estimated ethnic minority population of 3.6%. Therehas been an increasing number of migrant workers, asylum seekersand refugees both living and working in the Borough which has in itselfpresented a number of challenges. Although these have been largelyminimised, there is a need to engender greater tolerance and respectfor an increasingly diverse community, as people from BME groups,lesbian, gay and bi-sexual (LGB) and some groups of disabled peopleexperience significant levels of harassment and abuse.42Improving the Quality of Life in Our Communities: By Protecting theCommunity from Crime, Disorder and Other Risks to SafetyBarnsley’s Local Area Agreement 2008-11