Commissioner Henry with Chief Inspector Chris Pearson
Dramatic reductions in burglary, antisocial behaviour, and vehicle thefts in some areas of the city have been recorded this year compared to a three-year average.
A performance crime report compiled by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner shows there has been an 84% reduction in burglaries in Radford and Park, a 63% reduction in vehicle offences in Bestwood and Top Valley, and a 47% decrease in antisocial behaviour in the Arboretum.
Figures have been taken from April 2023 to July 2023 and compared against a three-year average and focus on specific areas within these boroughs which have been targeted for Safer Streets interventions.
This reduction comes after the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire secured £3 million of Home Office funding for Safer Streets projects that help reduce neighbourhood crime and antisocial behaviour, as well as violence against women and girls.
This has included home security devices such as camera doorbells and window restrictors being handed out to residents as well as additional CCTV and ANPR cameras and community-led programmes to divert young people away from crime.
The reduction in crime is also down to an increased police presence in these areas, targeting offenders causing the most harm to these communities.
Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry said: “amazing to hear that the Safer Streets programme is having a real effect in bringing down crime across the board in Nottingham”.
She said: “We want the people of Nottinghamshire to feel safe wherever they are, and having the extra interventions that Safer Streets bring alongside the fantastic existing work carried out by Nottinghamshire Police and local authorities is brilliant.”
The report also tracks the feeling of safety and incidents of violence against women and girls, something of paramount importance to Commissioner Henry.
Across the three target areas Radford and the Park reported the largest drop with a 70% reduction in sexual offences in the last quarter.
Chief Inspector Chris Pearson said: “While these figures are just a snapshot, they are very promising and shows the work we are putting in place to ensure criminals are struggling to make a living through crime in these five areas of the city.
“By the end of August we will have spent over a quarter of a million pounds on increasing police visibility in these areas preventing criminals from targeting homes and businesses as well as setting up drug operations that bring all levels of antisocial behaviour to these neighbourhoods.
“We still have plenty of work to do, however it is great to see that the measures being put in place to protect residents’ homes coupled with an increased police presence is seeing crime reducing.”
These measures are being delivered in partnership with Nottinghamshire Police and Nottingham City Council.
Nottingham City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhoods, Safety and Inclusion Cllr Sajid Mohammed said: “These latest statistics are hugely encouraging, and I hope they mean that not only are people safer, but they also feel safer.
“Schemes like Safer Streets make a huge difference, with extra household security measures undoubtedly contributing to the impressive reduction in burglaries in these area. This is alongside the day-to-day partnership working our fantastic Community Protection team carry out with Nottinghamshire Police to prevent and tackle crime and antisocial behaviour in our communities.”
Posted on Monday 14th August 2023