Community Safety

Community safety is about feeling safe, whether it is in the street, at work or in your home. It is about improving the quality of life in neighbourhoods and public places, so people can enjoy their lives without being anxious about crime, disorder, anti-social behaviour (affecting people and the environment) and domestic abuse.

The Home Office defines community safety as:

“An aspect of quality of life in which people, individually and collectively, are protected as far as possible from hazards or threats that result from the criminal or anti-social behaviour of others and are equipped, or helped, to cope with those they do experience”

Norfolk has recently been declared the safest part of the country, with the level of crime and disorder in most places being well below the national average. However, residents in Norfolk continue to be concerned about crime, although it appears that the main issue remains anti-social behaviour. Overall levels of crime have continued to fall – by 20% in the last 2 years – but perception of crime as an issue still remains high.

The Community Safety team works with various agencies to reduce crime and disorder in Norfolk and is based in strategic locations with police teams across the county.

The team comprises the Head of Community Safety, two Community Safety Co-ordinators, one Domestic Abuse Reduction Co-ordinator, one Community Safety Assistant, and three Community Support Co-ordinators.

The aim of the team is to reduce crime, anti-social behaviour and the harm caused by drugs and alcohol, and to reassure the public to reduce the fear of crime.

The Crime and Disorder Act 1998, amended by the Police and Justice Act 2006, places a statutory duty on the following responsible authorities to work in partnership to reduce crime, disorder and drug misuse:

• Norfolk Fire Authority

• Norfolk Police Authority

• Norfolk Constabulary

• Local Authorities

• County Council

• Health – Primary Care Trusts

Throughout the county there are seven Community Safety Partnerships based on district boundaries.  Their aim is to build a stronger working relationship to improve community safety across the county.