Commissioner Caroline Henry
A new survey measuring the impact of a £432,000 safety improvement project in Mansfield has revealed nine out of 10 people feel safe when out in their local area during the day.
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry launched the snapshot survey following the conclusion of the Safer Streets project, which launched in Mansfield Town Centre last summer.
The multiagency scheme, which saw Commissioner Henry work alongside Mansfield District Council, Nottinghamshire Police and Nottinghamshire County Council delivered £432,000 of safety improvements to help combat street crimes like burglary, robbery and theft.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with businesses, lettings agencies and residents praising the project for making them feel safer.
One of those to benefit was Alan, 62, a building firm owner and previous victim of vehicle crime.
After receiving support from the project, he said: “When I first received the leaflet, it seemed too good to be true but we’ve been really pleased with the scheme and we feel a lot safer.
“The first question the police ask after a theft or burglary is do you have CCTV? The new camera therefore should be a deterrent but if it does happen again, I feel like we are much more likely of catching the people who’ve done it.
“PCSO Megan Tuffley, the local Burglary Reduction Officer in Mansfield, was very helpful and has done everything she can to help us – it’s a great scheme.”
The investment included the installation of sophisticated security devices including solar-powered CCTV at residents’ homes, improved street lighting, additional police visibility patrols, extra CCTV on the streets to reduce the opportunity for crime and 240 hours of environmental cleaning including litter and graffiti removal and fly-topping to a value of almost £11k.
Following the works, interviews were carried out with 200 residents in target areas of Mansfield while an online survey developed by SMSR Research attracted 53 responses.
Alongside encouraging survey results, latest figures show in relation to the offences targeted, crime has reduced significantly in the 12 months to February 2022 with residential burglary falling -47%, vehicle offences -46%, robbery of personal property – 33% and trafficking in controlled drugs -30%.
As a result, Commissioner Henry has already submitted a bid for further ‘substantial’ funding for areas of Mansfield and Ashfield in the Home Office’s forthcoming Safer Streets 4 project.
Working in partnership with Mansfield District Council, Ashfield District Council and Nottinghamshire Police, Commissioner Henry has applied for funding to deliver safety improvements in Kirkby in Ashfield and the Warsop area of Mansfield.
Commissioner Henry said: “The Safer Streets initiative has been a resounding success, delivering permanent, practical resources that will help us deter and detect crime now and in years to come.
“The results of this survey show that investment in street lighting, CCTV and home security can have a marked difference on people’s confidence and feelings of safety and is worth every penny.
“The plan now is to build on this strong foundation and secure Mansfield and other areas of Nottinghamshire the money needed to keep on making our public spaces and homes even safer.”
Ends
NOTES TO EDITORS
The headline findings show:
- 91 per cent of residents feel safe during the day (public spaces)
- 36 per cent of residents feel safe at night (public spaces)
- 96 per cent of residents safe in their homes during the day
- 81 per cent of residents feel safe in their homes during darkness
- 75 per cent of residents said improvements to street lighting and the local environment had made them feel safer
- 75 per cent of residents agreed investment in CCTV was a good use of resources
- 87 per cent of residents said improvements to street lighting was a good use of resources
Posted on Friday 27th May 2022