Safer Arun Partnership

Thank you to each of the 338 people who took the time to complete the recent Community Safety consultation. We appreciate that the feedback provided may not be wholly representative of everyone who lives in Arun, but it does give agencies an idea of what people are concerned about.

The first take-away from the consultation results was the large number of people who had not heard of the Safer Arun Partnership or were unsure about it. Only 29% of respondents indicated that they had any knowledge of the partnership prior to the survey. This is something that we are keen to address because each of the statutory agencies shares a common aim; to reduce crime and nuisance behaviour. Our work should be known by our residents to provide reassurance that their concerns are being addressed.

Arun District Council, West Sussex County Council, Sussex Police, West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, Probation, Health services, and a representative of the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner all make up the Safer Arun Partnership. We will also include representatives from Social Care, schools, housing providers and any other organisations in relevant discussions and actions.

Results of the survey highlighted the following issues as those that you feel the Safer Arun Partnership should focus on (top 5):

1. Anti-social behaviour (e.g. drunk/rowdy behaviour, neighbour nuisance)
2. Drugs (e.g. drug dealing, drug use, discarded drug paraphernalia)
3. Street community issues (e.g. street drinking/begging, rough sleeping)
4. Road safety (e.g. collisions, anti-social driving)
5. Serious acquisitive crime (e.g. burglary, vehicle crime, robbery)

This very much mirrors the main issues raised during the 2022 community safety consultation. As a result of the 2022 results, the Safer Arun Partnership developed a 3 year partnership plan (2023-2025) and put these issues at the heart of the plan as part of our strategic priorities. The latest survey responses confirm to us that we are on the right track and tackling the most important concerns of our residents.

Our partnership approach extends to working together with other districts across West Sussex where there are opportunities to pool resources and knowledge. For example, in an effort to improve road safety, we participate in a Road Safety Action Group with Chichester District Council. This allows a joined up approach, alongside the Sussex Police Roads policing team and the fire and rescue service, to support anti-speeding campaigns and develop more localised activity to tackle the problem.

The Safer Arun Partnership very much recognises the complexities of dealing with these issues and acknowledges that no single agency can tackle them alone. All of the issues raised via this consultation are worked on collaboratively and this continues to be essential to all of the agencies involved. It is also important that residents, businesses, and visitors are included in action to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour and so we are committed to greater public engagement and promotion of the work we are doing.

Finally, 82% of respondents confirmed that they had experienced crime or ASB, either personally or a witness. However, 64% of those stated that they did not report the incident. As a result, we have created a campaign to encourage greater reporting, and provide confidence to people who do. This will be made publicly available very soon.

You can find out more information about the Safer Arun Partnership and view the 2023-2025 partnership plan by visiting www.arun.gov.uk/safer-arun-partnership (opens in new window).