Community Safety Partnerships from Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, Hart District Council and Rushmoor Borough Council, in Hampshire, joined forces to better tackle crime and antisocial behaviour, under the heading “Safer North Hampshire Community Safety Partnership.” There were previously three separate Community Safety Partnerships established from the Crime and Disorder Act (1998). In November 2012, the three existing partnerships started working together, alongside other partnership agencies, as Safer North Hampshire. Safer North Hampshire Community Safety Partnership seeks to pool resources, powers and expertise to provide a comprehensive response to community needs, whilst raising the understanding of community safety issues and improving the qualify of life for local people. The local authority response to community safety is now managed in-house by each local authority from the Safer North Hampshire Community Safety Partnership. You can contact the teams on the details below to talk about community safety matters in your area. Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council Tel: 01256 845245 Email: [email protected] Hart District Council Tel: 01252 774476 Email: [email protected] Rushmoor Borough Council Tel:01252 398220 Email: [email protected]
Please see the website: https://www.safernh.co.uk
Community Safety Team Community safety is best seen as an aspect of our quality of life in which individuals and communities are protected from, equipped to cope with, and have increased capacity to resist, crime and anti-social behaviour. (LGA definition). Our Community Safety team directly contributes to helping local communities feel safer and helping to reduce levels of antisocial behaviour to improve residents’ quality of life. Some of the main functions of the Community Safety Team include: • Coordination and administration of the Safer North Hampshire Community Safety Partnership, alongside our neighbouring districts at Rushmoor Borough Council and Hart District Council. Oversee the Councils strategy to reducing antisocial behaviour and contributing to supporting a borough where all feel safe. • Manages and coordinates antisocial behaviour cases, considering informal and formal interventions to address antisocial behaviour using a range of tools and powers. • Provides advice and guidance to residents in relation to Community Safety or antisocial behaviour concerns. • Supporting community groups, events and initiatives which contribute to improving community safety. • Provides expertise to inform a variety of other council functions where community safety needs to be considered. • Provides detailed analysis of crime and antisocial behaviour trends for informing the community safety strategic assessment, problem profiling and other antisocial behaviour concerns.
Community Safety Patrol Officers Community Safety Patrol Officers (CSPO) aim to improve the wellbeing of local residents by helping to make people feel safer. The focus of the service is to reduce anti-social behaviour affecting people and places. Anti-social behaviour is described by law as conduct which has caused or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to any person. There are many different types of antisocial behaviour, such as rowdy, threatening or intimidating behaviour, graffiti, vandalism and begging to environmental crimes such as littering, fly tipping and dog fouling. The Council will not tolerate antisocial behaviour and it will use its range of powers to take the most appropriate action to address it. Community Safety Patrol Officers aim to reduce antisocial behaviour affecting people and places by: • Carrying out highly visible patrols in uniform to tackle and deter antisocial behaviour, crime and disorder as well as providing reassurance to local communities. • Working closely with local communities and partner agencies, such as local residents and businesses, community groups, Safer North Hampshire, housing associations and the police to tackle anti-social behaviour in partnership. • Taking a robust approach when dealing with those committing environmental crimes, such as dog fouling, litter and fly-tipping. • Encouraging and empowering residents to take ownership of their communities and report environmental and anti-social behaviour issues to the relevant agencies. • Organising various campaigns to address issues of antisocial behaviour affecting local communities.
Safety Patrol Officers during the Covid-19 Pandemic
Between the 16th March and 10th December 2020, the Community Support Police Officers have:-
• Provided a reassuring patrol presence to members of the public to promote a feeling of safety within local communities. • Were able to deal with a wide-variety of incidents during patrols affecting the feeling of safety within a community. • Patrols were prioritised in parks and outdoor spaces where gatherings are more likely to take place. • Contributed to the safe reopening of the Town Centre following national lockdown. • 2,632 incidents were dealt with. • 91.3% Of residents’ told us they feel safer as a direct result of community safety activity taking place following reporting antisocial behaviour.
CSPO's supported the council and wider community response to assist some of the most vulnerable residents, by:
• Providing emergency food and medication deliveries to those individuals classed as clinically extremely vulnerable. • Providing welfare checks and support to those shielding. • Signposting and referring individuals who are homeless or sleeping rough to support agencies. • 221 Vulnerable residents were spoken to over the phone, taking details for the Community Hub and signposting to services and agencies. • 166 Welfare checks, emergency food parcels and medicine deliveries carried out.
CSPO's provided targeted patrols in areas where antisocial behaviour affecting people and places was most prevalent.
• Worked with individuals and partners to reduce the impact of antisocial behaviour on local community’s, taking necessary and proportionate action to tackle antisocial behaviour. • Led on a summer antisocial behaviour campaign to educate about responsible play and patrol areas where antisocial behaviour was identified. • Evidence-led patrols in areas where antisocial behaviour is most prevalent as well as parks, open spaces and other areas that groups are likely to congregate. • 37 Warning notices issued for antisocial behaviour. • 8 Fixed Penalty Notices issued. • 1 Prosecution in court for a littering offence. • 532 Incidents of antisocial behaviour dealt with.
CSPO's engaged, explained and encouraged individuals to comply with Covid-19 restrictions.
• Worked with the Police to identify and report individuals who persistently did not comply with current restrictions, or where there were other aggravating factors. • 788 Individuals engaged, explained and encouraged to comply with Covid-19 restrictions • 31 Individuals spoken to about not wearing face coverings in areas they are required to wear one (recorded from 14 September 2020).
Community Intelligence and Tensions During patrols, CSPO's were able to help identify community tensions and provide relevant intelligence to the Police. This was to identify community based concerns so any issues can be addressed in the most appropriate way. This included identifying crimes which are often hidden, such as hate crimes and domestic abuse. 120 Intelligence reports submitted.
Autumn Nights Campaign CSPO's coordinated a campaign to increase the feeling of safety in local communities as the evenings got darker, specifically focussing on preventing antisocial behaviour associated with Halloween and bonfire night period. The campaign was during October and November 2020.
Average overall customer satisfaction (Q2) (decrease in ASB, feeling of safety and cleaner and tidier, as a result of community safety activity): 90.8%
Super Saturday – 4th July 2020 Patrols were conducted in Basingstoke Town Centre for the re-opening of the hospitality industry and licensed premises following nationwide lockdown due to Covid-19. There was a coordinated response involving other council and partner agencies, including Community Safety, Licensing and the Hampshire Constabulary.
Community Safety Patrol Officer David Mason has been awarded the British Empire Medal for services to homeless people in the Queen's Birthday Honours. David Mason has worked at Basingstoke and Dean Borough Council since 2006, first as a Community Warden, then as a Community Safety Patrol Officer, and now Team Leader for the Community Safety Patrol Officers.
He has played an instrumental role in working in partnership with homeless organisations and charities and local business communities to design, develop and deliver a town centre storage scheme where bedding can be stored on behalf of homeless people, providing them with additional security and responding to concerns from businesses in relation to bedding being left in shop doorways. Over the years, he has worked collaboratively through a number of initiatives to help resolve issues within the community, such as neighbourhood agreements to ease tensions between residents and the Safer Shops Schemes to tackle and deter antisocial behaviour at shopping parades.
David said “I am truly overwhelmed to have ben put forward for this prestigious award. It is incredibly humbling to be among what is a very special partnership of organisations, charities and individuals all working together to eradicate rough sleeping in Basingstoke and Deane and I am proud to have played a role in contributing to the drop in the number of people sleeping on our streets. The Basingstoke Social Inclusion Partnership aims to tackle rough sleeping and the causes of homelessness by working together and providing tailored support to meet clients needs. Our aim is to not only help people to get off the streets but support them in their ongoing journey away from the streets. Throughout my time at Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council I have always enjoyed working collaboratively to benefit our residents and local businesses, it is an important part of my role as a Community Safety Patrol Officer Team Leader. The town centre storage project identified a need to create a safe, dry storage facility where rough sleepers could leave their bedding during the day making them feel supported as a first step to changing their lives. With the support of colleagues in the Council and Outreach I am proud to have delivered this project in the town centre and to be part of the team continuing to drive forward projects such as this for our residents.”
Looking ahead to 2021 and beyond… Covid-19 will have longer term impacts beyond the peak of the virus. The team are planning ahead for medium and longer term impacts of Covid-19 and how that will influence the teams priorities. As demonstrated during the Covid-19 pandemic, CSPOs are adaptable and flexible to meet the needs of the local community whilst still providing core functionality of contributing to reducing antisocial behaviour and increasing the feeling of safety in local communities.