Police launch three year crime plan

Launching the second three-year strategy on crime and disorder on Monday, Sussex Police Chief Inspector Nick Wilkinson urged everyone in the district to actively support Rother's Crime and Disorder Partnership.

He said he was determined to see as many groups as possible take action to improve the quality of life for residents and visitors alike, rather than be simply talking shops.

In 2002-2005, the partnership aims to tackle the underlying causes of crime and disorder in the district.

The crime hot spots were identified following a wide-ranging consultation exercise last year, including two public attitude surveys, to assess the level of crime and disorder.

Three action groups will now be responsible for delivering the strategy, Property, Personal Safety and Fear of Crime. They will analyse the problems and devise realistic and achievable plans for the next three years.

The groups will focus on domestic burglary, business and car crime, criminal damage, violence, vulnerable people, and anti social behaviour.

The partnership is headed by Sussex Police, East Sussex County Council and Rother District Council, but includes representatives from Sussex Police Authority, the Sussex Probation Service and Rother Homes. Action groups include representatives from a wide range of statutory, voluntary and business sector organisations and individual people, who live, work or operate in the Rother area.

These include county, district and parish councillors, East Sussex Youth Service, Bexhill Community Partnership, the Chamber of Commerce, East Sussex Fire Brigade, Sussex Ambulance Service, British Transport Police, Neighbourhood Watch, Moat Care and Repair, Citizen's Advice Bureau, magistrates, and victim support.

The groups will be chaired by police sector inspector Max Mosley, David Turner, chief executive of Rother Homes and Jacquie Ballard, domestic violence officer, East Sussex County Council.

Partnership chairman Chief Insp Wilkinson added: "The key aim of this strategy is to draw together as many groups and individual people as possible to look at what causes crime and disorder and then to set out ways in which this can be tackled.

"Only through the willing help and co-operation of everyone who has an interest in helping to keep Rother a very low crime area and a quality place to live, will this strategy have any hope of success.

"It is now time to call time on crime and disorderly behaviour. This is a key way in which everyone can join together to lower the number and severity of such incidents. I invite everyone to help the partnership in this task."

Angela Haines, ESCC community safety co-ordinator, said the audit identified key areas such as truancy, domestic violence, and drugs misuse.

"Crime really is everyone's business," she said. "We have a lot of work to do in developing a detailed action plan, and it will be a challenge. But we want to make an impact and need the public to help and assist us."

The partnership has been given more than 130,000 for next year from the Partnership Development Fund, Community Against Drugs Fund and Safer Community Initiatives funding, she added, which will go a long way towards meeting their targets.