Thanet Community Safety Plan 2013/14 Agreed

The Thanet Community Safety Plan was approved at TDC’s Cabinet meeting on Thursday 25 April. The plan highlights the need to collectively tackle community safety issues, such as anti-social behavior, domestic abuse, violent crime, substance misuse and acquisitive crime and theft offences, in the district over the next year.

As part of the action plan the partnership will:

• Deliver a project targeted around safety on public transport to reduce anti-social behaviour
• Increase the use of community payback to clear environmental anti-social behaviour such as fly-tipping and graffiti
• Continue delivery of targeted seasonal domestic abuse campaigns and pilot outreach work at peak times at the QEQM hospital to support victims
• Deliver education programmes in schools to encourage positive relationships and positive role models
• Support the national loan sharking campaign and hold an action week
• Deliver a road safety program to young people arrested for drink driving offences
• Expand the use of the SmartWater property marking scheme and raise awareness around burglary prevention

During the meeting Cabinet Members were also presented with the latest crime statistics, which revealed that crime over the last year has reduced by 4.7% in total in Thanet. This meant that there were 496 less offences being committed across the district. Thanet has also seen a great decrease in robbery offences and criminal damage in comparison with last years figures. The partnership has achieved this by delivering actions contained within last year’s plan but by also investing time realigning some functions and improving efficiency.

Madeline Homer, Thanet District Council Director of Community Services, said: “Tackling crime in Thanet remains a top priority. It is good news that we are experiencing a reduction in crime in the area however, the need to continue this good work remains essential.”

“The Community Safety Partnership continues to work with Kent Police alongside many other agencies to collectively implement and deliver initiatives that will help Thanet to be a safe place to live, work and visit.”