The Dorset Community Safety Partnership (CSP) has a core membership comprising Fire, Police, NHS. Probation, six local authorities elected representative and Dorset County Council. Further attendees include Government South West, Drugs agency. Youth opportunities, Criminal Justice Board and representatives from various voluntary groups.
In simple terms the purpose of CSP is to deliver a co-ordinated strategy for community safety, to oversee the reduction of crime and disorder, to reduce perception and fear of crime and to facilitate the strengthening of Dorset’s community’s local initiatives and contribution.
Starting with the development of the three year 2009/11 Community Safety Plan from local evidence to ensure targets are based on real public concerns, CSP works to targets set in Dorset’s local area agreement and policies included in the sustainable communities’ strategy.
As chair of this group I hold accountable partners under section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 which in essence describes the responsibilities of local authorities to reduce crime and disorder and to reduce reoffending. In turn I am accountable to ensure appropriate mechanisms are in place for the engagement of the communities for tackling crime and disorder and that partners are focussed to achieve the end goal which is to get safer communities across Dorset.
This process requires local authority community safety officers to work in partnership to deliver real improvements described in the Community Safety Plan and to do this I have a Plan Delivery Group comprising executive partners from all agencies reporting on successes and concerns and by using crime statistics targeting key and developing issues. Quarterly the whole partnership meets to assess performance and to refresh plans and targets.
Since the start of our plan in 2009 we have seen a considerable improvement in all problem areas which obviously reflects on the cost to communities of crime and disorder and by continual interrogation of statistics and priorities developed initiatives which have seen big reductions in areas such as anti-social behaviour and criminal damage.
By consolidating this committee to represent the whole of Dorset (excluding Bournemouth and Poole) by combining East and West CDRP, efficiency savings are considerable especially in officer / executive time.
My next task is to strengthen and develop locality working at district level so that all six areas are working to a similar template ensuring a consistent delivery of solutions and management of programs designed to include and encourage communities to join in and be part of the overall objective of making Dorset an even safer place to live and visit.
This is where Homewatch fits in to the whole structure and where residents can be part of the quest of crime reduction and to set their own high standards in their communities.
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