Bexley community Safety Partnership Strategy 2014-2017

Bexley Community Safety Partnership Strategy 2014-2017

Introduction

Bexley Community Safety Partnership (the BCSP) is made up of senior representatives from the following bodies, all of which are designated as a “Responsible Authority” under Crime and Disorder Act 1998:

  • Bexley Police
  • LondonProbation
  • London Borough of Bexley
  • London Fire Brigade
  • Bexley Health

With the co-operation and participation of other key stake holders, which includes the voluntary sector and representatives of the community, theResponsible Authoritiesmust work in partnershiptoformulate and implement a three year strategy to:

  • Reduce crime disorder, including anti-social behaviour;
  • Combat the misuse of drugs, alcohol and other substances; and
  • Reduce reoffending.

This document sets out the BCSP’s three year strategy for the period 01 April 2014 to 31 March 2017.

Aim

The BCSP’s strategicaim is to keep people who live, work and visit the London Borough of Bexley (Bexley) safe and to help them to feel safe- “Keep crime low, feel safe.”

Objective

The BCSP’sobjective is to:

  • Keep people who live, work and visit Bexley safe by reducing crime & disorder, anti-social behaviour and reoffending and combating substance misuse; and
  • Act upon any barriers that prevent people who live, work and visit Bexley from feeling safe.

To achieve its objectives the BCSP will put in place an Annual Partnership Plan (Plan), which will set out the matters it needs to prioritise and implement throughout the year.

Public Engagement

Each year the BCSP will seek the views of people who live and work in Bexley, and bodies representing such people, on crime & disorder, anti-social behaviour, reoffending and substance misuse. The current mechanism for this engagement in via the ‘Big Bexley Crime Survey’ which is a public consultation carried out between October and December.

In addition the Partnership will hold at least one public meeting each year.

Joint Strategic Assessment

To assist the BSCP in formulating its annual Plan each year it will carry out a Joint Strategic Assessment (JSA), the purpose of which is to:

  • Measure and analyse levels, patterns and trends of crime & disorder, anti-social behaviour, reoffending and substance misuse occurring in Bexley, making comparisons with national, and regional (i.e. London) figures where relevant.
  • Identify any emerging issues.
  • Identify the priorities of people who live and work in Bexley with regard to crime & disorder, anti-social behaviour, reoffending and substance misuse; and any barriers they may have to ‘feeling safe’.
  • Assess the effectiveness of the current years Plan.

The JSA will comprise of information provided by, but not limited to, the following:

  • People who live or work in Bexley, including bodies representing such people, and in particular their feedback to the BSCP’s annual public engagement exercise.
  • The Responsible Authorities, including any relevant information provided to them from people living and working in Bexley;
  • Any co-operating or participating Member of the BSCP.
  • The Council’s Crime and Disorder Overview and Scrutiny Committee; and
  • The ‘Plan’ in place for the year in which the assessment is carried out.

Annual Plan

Each year the BSCP will use the information provided in the JSA, together with any other relevant information, to agree the priorities it needs to adopt for the coming year in order that it can achieve its objectives.

When deciding its priorities the BSCP will have regard to information provided by the Mayor’s Office for Policing & Crime (MOPAC), together with any priorities MOPAC have identified on a “pan” London basis.

The BCSP will apply the following principals when determining it priorities:

  1. Take action to prevent and deter crime & disorder, and develop a sense of ‘feeling safe’, particularly with regard to those priorities identified by people who live and work in Bexley. Actions will include:
  2. reducing the vulnerability of the public to reduce the chances of their becoming victims of crime. This may include; advice, guidance, and practical support;
  3. encouraging sensitive environmental and property design to deter activity of a crime & anti-social nature;
  4. educating people about the consequences of engaging in crime, and the impact on them as individuals and on community;
  5. providing opportunities to divert energies away from crime & disorder towards productive and community spirited activities;
  6. taking prompt action to deal with low level/minor incidents that encourage further criminal or anti-social behaviour (e.g. removal of graffiti, fly tipping, broken lights, derelict sites etc.); and
  7. identifying at risk individuals, who will be encouraged and supported to avoid a ‘criminal record’.
  1. Take action to detect, identify and deal with offenders through the legal system.
  1. Take action to reduce reoffending. Actions may include:
  1. identifying individuals at risk of re-offending; and
  2. working with high risk individuals to provide support and encouragement for them to become law abiding citizens.
  1. Collaborative working arrangements of all those agencies (statutory and voluntary) and individuals working to secure improved community safety in Bexley. This may include:
  1. reviewing the membership & structure of the BCSP’s and its operation;
  2. mutual support to secure new funding opportunities;
  3. seeking to identify and reinvest savings made through reduced crime & disorder to support this strategy;
  4. using a ‘problem solving process’ to redress specific problems; and
  5. focussing on ‘outcomes’ and payment by results.
  1. Adopt good practice and innovation to improving community safety.
  1. Have an information sharing protocol.

Once agreed the BSCP’s will formulate an annual Plan which will set out the delivery of its priorities. This Plan will:

  • List the agreed priorities;
  • Set out specific actions to be taken;
  • Detail measures of success based on SMART objectives;
  • Identify those responsible for delivery;
  • If relevant, describe how people living and working in Bexley might assist in its delivery;
  • Be affordable.

The annual Plan is a “living document” and as such will be kept under regular review by the BSCP so as to allow it to act upon any emerging issues or changing priorities in a timely manner.

Annual Review

The Partnership will keep this Strategy under review for the purposes of monitoring its effectiveness, and making any changes to it that appears necessary or expedient.

Equality Impact Assessment

An Equality Impact Assessment has been carried out on this Strategy and has determined that, whilst the Strategy considers specific groups, it does not treat them unfavourably; and its objective is to keep all people safe, to protect victims and to reduce crime, disorder, anti social behaviour, reoffending and substance misuse.

“Keep crime low, feel safe”