Making communities safer strategy published

The Government has published for consultation a comprehensive community safety plan entitled ‘Creating A Safer Northern Ireland Through Partnership – A Consultative Document’.

The development of this strategy was one of the key recommendations of the Criminal Justice Review and represents an unique opportunity for organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors to work with communities and individuals to improve the quality of life for all by reducing crime, the fear of crime and anti-social behaviour.

Announcing the publication of the document and the start of the 12-week consultation period, Minister Des Browne, said: “Unsafe communities wreck lives. Crime and the fear of crime and anti social behaviour have a devastating impact on people’s quality of life, exacerbating social exclusion and social and economic disadvantage.”

“People should be able to have confidence in their own and others’ safety in the areas where they live and work. This strategy for local, accountable solutions to local problems will help build that confidence.”

The consultation document identifies nine key issues for priority attention, ranging from domestic burglary and car crime through to anti-social behaviour, noisy neighbours and fear of crime against older people. The strategy proposes a partnership approach to tackling these issues, involving agencies such as the police, social services, housing authorities and local councils working together at a local level to devise local solutions with local people.

“These problems cannot be tackled by criminal justice agencies on their own. This consultation paper sets out our ideas through an inclusive partnership approach involving the statutory, voluntary, private and community sectors. And we will back up this strategy with resources to underpin the proposals,” Mr Browne said.

Mr Browne concluded by saying that the publication of the document marked the start of a 12 week consultation period which offered anyone interested in making Northern Ireland a safer place the opportunity to have their say.