People are being asked for their views on a three-year plan to help prevent crime and protect communities across Bath and North East Somerset.
The Joint Community Safety Plan 2022- 2025 sets out how the council and its partners the Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner and Avon and Somerset Police will work together to build strong, resilient communities.
Using local data held on crime in B&NES the draft plan addresses joint working to tackle key issues including crime, disorder, anti-social behaviour, domestic abuse, preventing people from being drawn into terrorism, and working in partnership to combat serious organised crime and to reduce serious violent crime.
The draft plan reflects some of the priorities and concerns raised by local people including:
- Continue to identify opportunities for longer-term funding to reduce domestic abuse and improve outcomes for survivors
- Support and enable the reporting of, discovery of, and response to, incidents of modern slavery and exploitation.
- Meet our Prevent duties and help other partners to do so, including raising awareness of reporting method for online extremist material working with community groups to raise awareness of radicalisation and in particular the role of social media
- Ensure the Police and other partners agencies work closely with Area Forums on key community safety issues
- Continued focus on river safety campaigns with partners and students
- Work with the Student Community Partnership and with educational establishments to promote safety, e.g., awareness of drink spiking.
- Work alongside partners to promote safety on our streets particularly in response to national campaigns regarding women’s safety in public areas.
- Work on hate crime through the Hate Crime Partnership and encourage families and friends to report concerns.
The draft plan also sets out how the council aims to support delivery of the Avon & Somerset Crime Plan in Bath and North East Somerset. For the council, this covers wide-ranging responsibilities, including delivery of those services that help to create healthier communities and address the underlying causes of crime, but also respond to concerns and broader issues that contribute to making people feel unsafe in their communities such as antisocial behaviour, environmental crime, fly-tipping and rogue trading.
Councillor Dine Romero, cabinet member for Children, Young People and Communities, said: “Together with Avon and Somerset Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC) we have a shared aim which is to take every opportunity to protect the public and promote safer communities. I welcome this draft plan which reflects our shared priorities and sets out how we will protect the most vulnerable people from harm.”
Mark Shelford, PCC for Avon and Somerset, said: “A key theme of my Police and Crime Plan, and my first priority for the people of Avon and Somerset, is preventing crime.
“As your PCC, I am the voice of local people in policing so I regularly visit people in Bath and North East Somerset, where I’m also a resident, and talk to individuals, community groups, business owners and local councillors about the policing issues that matter. It’s important that I understand your concerns and priorities to ensure your local police are delivering an effective and efficient service.
“However, preventing crime is something we have to do in partnership with other agencies and our communities to ensure they are strong and resilient. This local plan has been created to focus on the matters where we can work in partnership to make a difference and I would encourage everyone to do the survey and give us your thoughts and feedback.”
The plan will be taken to the Children, Adults, Health and Wellbeing Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel on 17th of January, Cabinet on the 9th of March and full Council on the 16th of March for adoption. To read the draft plan and take part in the consultation, please click here. The consultation closes at 6pm on February 14.
