Safer Stronger campaign

Welwyn Hatfield’s Community Safety Partnership (CSP) – your partners for a safer, stronger neighbourhood – has launched the second phase of its Safer Stronger campaign

The CSP involves many local organisations and exists to help create safer, happier, nicer environments for the community. Organisations involved include the emergency services, Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, Hertfordshire County Council, East & North Herts Primary Care Trust, Probation Service, University of Hertfordshire and many local community and voluntary groups. Together they tackle issues that have a detrimental impact on residents’ quality of life.

The CSP has carried out many initiatives over the last year to reduce crime and the perception of crime in the borough. In Welham Green, the CSP along with local residents and businesses, reduced anti-social behaviour in the area by 73 per cent, which has helped to reignite a sense of community in the village.

County Councillor Richard Smith, Chair of the Community Safety Partnership, says: “The CSP and all its partner organisations do a lot of work in Welwyn Hatfield to keep our borough a safe and pleasant place to live. We are very pleased with what we have achieved in the year since we launched, but there is still a gap between crime rates and the perception of crime.

The ‘Safer Stronger’ campaign is based around six facts about community safety in the borough.  “We have designed six new posters to try and dispel some of the myths about community safety. Welwyn Hatfield is still one of the safest places to live in the country; this is something we should all be proud of and should celebrate. Look out for the eye-catching posters and banners that will be are appearing around the borough,” adds Councillor Smith.

Here are six of the key facts about our borough:

• At community involvement events in 2007-2008, we have spoken face-to-face with more than 1,500 residents about their safety concerns¹.
• Thanks to increased promotion of advice, more people are confident to report incidents of domestic violence ²
• Most anti-social behaviour disputes were successfully resolved in 2007-08 ³
• Crime in Welwyn Hatfield has dropped by 28 per cent since 2004 ⁴
• The Community Safety Partnership carries out regular patrols to confiscate alcohol from underage drinkers
• All areas of Welwyn Hatfield have dedicated neighbourhood teams to make your communities safer and stronger

¹ Figure taken from the Community Involvement Day summary 2007-2008

² On average, 1.25 additional incidents were reported each week in 2007/08 when compared with 2006/07. Figures from Hertfordshire Constabulary

³ Taken from Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council’s Anti-Social Behaviour Team annual summary, April 2008

⁴ Figure taken from Home Office iQuanta report, March 2008

More information about the Community Safety Partnership can be found on the Welwyn Hatfield Alliance’s website.