Safety and crime prevention continue to be high priorities for local people according to the results of the public consultation on the Interim Community Strategy. Worthing is actually a comparatively safe town, with rates of crime and disorder below the national and county averages, but a number of crime ‘hot-spots’ persist. Moreover, the fear of crime is a significant factor in how people feel about where they live.
THE TOWN WE WANT
Worthing will be a place where people are safe and feel safe, whether visiting, at home, at work, in the town centre or just out and about. The Town We Want will deliver a safer Worthing through a combination of prevention, education and enforcement, focusing on five priority areas:
• A safe night-time economy.
• Reducing crime relating to young people.
• A safer town.
• Tackling hate crime and domestic violence.
• Reducing drug misuse and drug-related crime.
WHAT WORTHING TOGETHER IS GOING TO DO NOW
• Tackle violent crime, including that related to binge drinking, through education, enforcement and the review of licensing, planning and transport policies.
• Tackle anti-social behaviour and its causes and effects by enforcing regulatory powers (eg anti-social behaviour orders and acceptable behaviour contracts), and by working with offenders, including oung people, to promote awareness of crime and its consequences, and the responsibilities of citizenship.
• Deliver a full neighbourhood uniform presence (Police Community Support Officers or Neighbourhood Wardens) across Worthing.
• Encourage greater community involvement in identifying and creating solutions to issues of crime and disorder.
• Reduce environmental crime such as deliberate fires, graffiti, litter, fly tipping, and abandoned vehicles.
• Improve the support and assistance available to victims of hate crime and domestic violence and encourage the victims of these crimes to report offences to the authorities.
• Reduce the effects and misuse of illegal drugs, alcohol and other substances.
WHAT WORTHING TOGETHER IS GOING TO DO IN THE LONGER TERM
• Deliver a balanced nighttime economy across the town which creates an environment where people of all ages feel safe.
• Promote good citizenship and encourage a law abiding community across all generations.
• Challenge behaviour that results in hate crime.
• Create an environment where the use of illegal substances and the abuse of alcohol are socially unacceptable.
HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED
• Join Neighbourhood Watch.
• Support your community in tackling crime.
• Participate in joint community / agency groups to address local issues.
• Report problems in your area to the Police or Borough Council.
• Become a Special Constable.
If you wish to get involved in any of these opportunities, please call either :
Community Planning Team Worthing Borough Council Tel : (01903) 221051
Or
Worthing Council for Voluntary Service Tel : (01903) 528620
