News

Read the latest news about the Safer Hastings Partnership, our recent achievements and new initiatives here…

Local residents feel safer

February 2006

LOCAL residents feel safer than they felt a year ago, according to the results of the Safer Hastings Partnership’s annual Fear Of Crime Survey.

Last year, our 2004 survey revealed that people in Hastings & St Leonards were feeling safer than they felt in 2001, and the latest survey, conducted in October 2005, found that feelings have safety have increased once again.

The biggest increases were in people feeling safe walking alone at night – both in the area in which they live and in the town centre. The 2004 survey showed that 42 per cent of our residents felt safe walking alone at night in the area in which they live; this has now risen to 52 per cent.

Feelings of safety in the town centre at night have also increased by more than 10 per cent, with 41 per cent now feeling safe, compared to 30 per cent last year.

Locals also feel safer walking alone where they live and in the town centre during the day, with increases of two per cent taking the totals to 91 per cent and 94 per cent respectively.

Hastings Borough Council’s Warden Service and Sussex Police’s Community Support Officers are a reassuring presence in the town, with 61 per cent of those who completed the survey stating that both uniformed services make them feel safer.

David Furness, Community Safety Coordinator with the SHP, said, “Once again we are thrilled with the results of this survey. They show that the gap between the reality that local crime is falling and the public perception of local crime trends is narrowing year-on-year.

“We are determined to narrow that gap further and will continue to promote the work of the Partnership to ensure that our residents know we are continuing to strive to keep crime falling.”

Chief Inspector Trevor Bowles, Sussex Police’s District Commander for Hastings, added, “I am delighted with the results of the latest annual Fear of Crime Survey. The crime figures show that Hastings is a considerably safer town in which to live and work than it was four years ago, and the latest survey demonstrates that people are feeling more secure and reassured.

“Our programme of placing Specialist Neighbourhood Constables into the communities of Hastings is designed to ensure that people in the town continue to feel increasingly safer.”

There was a nine per cent increase in those filling out the SHP’s latest Fear Of Crime Survey compared to the previous year. It was printed in the Council’s About magazine in September, which is delivered to almost every household in Hastings & St Leonards. Questionnaires were also conducted at the Council’s Street Fair at Priory Meadow Shopping Centre in October.

Hastings Borough Councillor Godfrey Daniel, portfolio holder for community safety, said, “The latest survey results are a very good news story indeed. To achieve increases of 10 per cent or more people feeling safer at night -- both in the town and in their own neighbourhood – is truly remarkable.

“Great credit is due to all those who are helping to further our ‘Together Action’ work and demonstrates the commitment of the Borough Council and its partners to achieving a safer Hastings.”

Click here for more information about Public Reassurance...

Tackling all forms of anti-social behaviour

February 2006

WE ALL want to see our neighbourhoods free of litter, graffiti, abandoned cars, dog fouling and other anti-social nuisances.

The Anti-Social Behaviour Order, or ASBO, was introduced by the Government as one of a raft of measures designed to tackle anti-social behaviour and improve the quality of our lives.

Local success stories

Here in Hastings, there are currently 30 local residents with ASBOs. Towards the end of last year, three local street drinkers were given ASBOs following anti-social behaviour that included disorderly behaviour when drunk and intimidating passers by.

To date, those three street drinkers have not been a problem since. This is one of many success stories in Hastings & St Leonards over recent years.

In fact, the Safer Hastings Partnership’s ASBO Unit has been recognised by the Home Office for its robust approach to tackling anti-social behaviour. In October 2004, Hastings became one of the Home Office’s 50 ‘Together Action Areas’ across the country. This opened up additional resources, both in terms of funding and easier access to what works elsewhere.

Working in partnership with Hastings Borough Council’s Warden Service (coming soon) and Environmental Health Department, as well as Sussex Police, the British Transport Police and local housing associations, including 1066 Housing Association, the ASBO Unit is committed to using the anti-social behaviour law to prevent the minority from disturbing the quality of residents’ lives, and to the Council’s agenda of making our town safer, cleaner and greener.

Since becoming a ‘Together Action Area’, projects in Hastings & St Leonards have included a car amnesty, through which Hastings Borough Council arranged for the removal of unused cars free of charge, the cleaning up of areas including Bohemia Road, and family support schemes.

Richard Homewood, Chair of the Safer Hastings Partnership and Hastings Borough Council’s Executive Director for Safety & Environment, said, “These successes in Hastings clearly demonstrate the importance of true partnership working. We are able to deal with the full range of issues that impact on people’s quality of life and the environment around them by working together to provide sustainable solutions.”

As well as environmental initiatives such as these, ASBOs are applied for when one person, or a group of people, are having a negative impact on the quality of life of residents in local neighbourhoods, and where other measures to redress the situation have not succeeded.

What is an ASBO?

The Anti-Social Behaviour Order was introduced under the Crime & Disorder Act 1998. It is a civil order that places restraints upon a person, preventing them from behaving in a particular way, going to certain locations and/or mixing with certain other individuals.

Police forces, borough and county councils, the British Transport Police and Housing Associations (including Housing Action Trusts) and the Environment Agency can apply for an ASBO against anyone aged 10 or over who acts in an anti-social manner, which causes or is likely to cause alarm or distress to members of the community.

Each ASBO is tailored to the type of behaviour that needs to be restrained. For example, in Hastings, we have obtained ASBOs restricting people from gathering in certain groups, being in public with open alcohol containers and being out of their home at night.

Do ASBOs work?

In the case of the three street drinkers mentioned above and many others, it is clear that their ASBOs have been effective, as they have not caused problems since.

However, some perpetrators do continue to cause problems and breach their ASBOs. The breach of an ASBO can lead to arrest, which, in turn, can lead to imprisonment for a term of up to five years.

Nigel Barry, ASBO Coordinator with the Safer Hastings Partnership, said, “We are often asked if ASBOs really work. Our experience in Hastings pretty well reflects the national picture. Around 40 per cent of those ASBOs handed down by a Magistrate’s Court are breached. Therefore, 60 per cent are not breached, meaning the behaviour has stopped and the ASBO has worked.

“Where breaches occur, the perpetrator can be, and very often is, prosecuted for that breach, as well as any other criminal matters that are involved.”

It’s Your Call!

Hastings Borough Council can deal with complaints of litter, dog-fouling, abandoned and untaxed vehicles, fly-tipping, fly-posting, noise, graffiti and nuisance neighbours.

If you are aware of anti-social behaviour in your area, please call the ‘Together Action’ reporting line on 0800 0854 500 to report it. Together we can make our streets cleaner, safer and greener.

Click here for more information about Anti-Social Behaviour...

Neighbourhood policing: It’s right up your street!

February 2006

POLICING in Hastings is changing. Hastings Police are increasing the number of resources specifically dedicated to neighbourhood policing in the town.

Hopefully, you’ve already heard about Area Coordination – the new way for services to be delivered with Hastings & St Leonards divided into four areas.

Coordinated by Hastings Borough Council’s Neighbourhood Renewal Team, the aim is to narrow any gaps in quality of life between neighbourhoods by raising standards and concentrating on areas most in need of improvement.

The difference to you

Three Police Inspectors are being given responsibility for their own specific areas. This will include taking charge of the teams of officers dedicated to those areas, in addition to supporting the 24-hour policing that operates in the town.

Real neighbourhood policing will be the result, tying in with the goals contained within Area Coordination: tackling crime and raising levels of education, health, employment, housing and environmental standards across the town.

The four areas are East Hastings, Central, North St Leonards and South St Leonards. The three inspectors will have specific responsibilities for one area each and share Central between them.

Know your Inspector

• Inspector Mark Callaghan has been appointed as the Inspector for North St Leonards, with additional responsibility for Silverhill and St Helens wards from Central.
  Mark has been working in Hastings for the past two years, working shifts as a Duty Inspector.
  His first aim is to build on the good work achieved with the Greater Hollington Partnership by creating partnership and community links in Ashdown, Conquest, Silverhill and St Helens wards.
  Mark said, “I want to invite anyone who wishes to play a part in improving their local community in these wards to contact me. I want to enable each ward to have its own Forum where local issues can be discussed and actions created to resolve them.”
  His ideal would be for a volunteer to come forward to represent each street.
  mark.callaghan@sussex.pnn.police.uk
• Inspector Mark Bright now has responsibility for East Hastings, plus Castle ward from Central.
  Mark has lived locally and worked in Hastings for many years.
  He is urging residents to become involved with their existing local forums, such as the successful Ore Valley and Castle ward forums or existing residents’ groups.
  The forums are considering expanding to encompass all wards from East and Central Hastings.
  Mark said, “I, or members of my team, have regular monthly contact with the residents who attend these forums. Each month there are meetings where current crime and community safety concerns are raised. Specific issues brought to these meetings by the residents are then dealt with by my team.”
  He says that, where appropriate, problems are also taken to other agency representatives at the monthly Multi Agency Tasking Team meetings, or MATT meetings, that operate for each area of the town.
  Mark adds, “If residents aren’t able to be involved in forum meetings, but still have issues that are affecting their quality of life, then I would encourage them to contact the Inspector for their area, who can then raise the issue on their behalf”.
  mark.bright@sussex.pnn.police.uk
• Inspector Doug Bick has guardianship of South St Leonards plus Braybrooke ward from Central.
  He is new in post but not new to Hastings, having lived in the town for 32 years.
  Doug is looking forward to working closely with residents, local businesses and the Gensing and Central St Leonards Forum.
  He says, “With the help of the people of the area, I want to make a positive difference to the quality of life in the area. I want to build on the good work that we and other partners have implemented in Central St Leonards”.
  douglas.bick@sussex.pnn.police.uk

How it will work

Each of the four areas will have a strategic board working towards improvements, with a team of representatives from other agencies, including Council Wards, Environmental Services and others.

They will meet monthly to examine issues as crime hotspots and environmental problems and come up with solutions.

If you want to get involved in the policing aspect of Area Coordination, contact your inspector.

For more details on the scheme, you can contact the Neighbourhood Renewal Team on 01424 781339. 

Fire setters scheme

February 2006

WITHIN our communities, there exists a constant threat from young people who play with fire. Children who play with fire do so for various reasons, ranging from natural curiosity to attention seeking.

Without help and guidance, firesetting behaviour can increase, leading to more serious consequences, such as major injuries and damage to homes, schools and property.

For this reason, the East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (ESF&RS) Advisors Scheme was set up in 1993, when statistics showed a high percentage of deliberate fires were started by young people.

The aim of the scheme is to help young people understand and control the feelings and circumstances that lead them to firesetting, whilst teaching them fire safety awareness.

All of our advisors are employed by ESF&RS. They are volunteers to the scheme and are fully trained. The advisors include firefighters and non-uniformed support staff.

The programme involves a first visit by the advisor to find out more information about the young person involved and to start a trusting relationship.

Advisors can, by agreement, visit your home, or arrangements can be made to meet at a community centre or similar location where young people feel comfortable.

The duration of advisory involvement varies depending upon the circumstances and problems involved. Your advisor will discuss times with you and will be available to answer any questions.

Telltale signs of recurrent firesetting can include:

• Small burn holes in carpets;
• Charred paper in sinks or wastebaskets;
• Matches or lighters hidden in your child’s room;
• An unusual fascination with fires;
• Unexplainable fires in your home.

This behaviour should be recognised and dealt with to ensure that it does not continue into adulthood.

You may wish to consider your own actions and how they may influence the behaviour of children for whom you are responsible.

To make your home safe for children, follow these simple guidelines:

• Always keep matches and lighters safely out of reach of children;
• Never leave children alone in the house;
• Never assume toddlers or infants are incapable of lighting a match or lighter – be safe, not sorry;
• Explain that fire is dangerous and only adults should deal with it – for older children, teach the appropriate uses of fire under an adult’s supervision;
• Teach your children to “STOP”, “DROP” and “ROLL” if their clothes should catch fire.

You can contact the Firesetters Confidential Hotline on: 0800 731 9119.

For more information about the Fire Setters Advisors Scheme, click here...