Community Safety Consultation

Thank you to all our residents who took the time to complete the recent survey carried out by the Safer West Sussex Partnership in order to understand the community safety issues that matter to you most.

We had 339 responses in total, 220 from Worthing residents and 129 from Adur, which has given us a real insight into how safe our residents feel and what they are most concerned about.

The Adur and Worthing Safer Communities Partnership is a multi-agency partnership comprising Adur and Worthing Councils, Sussex Police, West Sussex County Council, West Sussex Fire and Rescue, The Office of the Police Crime Commissioner and Probation. Community Works, who support our vibrant community and voluntary sector also participate.

Each partner is committed to making our communities feel and be safer together and we can pool our resources to really make a difference. Hearing your voices, means we can incorporate what you care about most into planning our partnership priorities.

For Adur and Worthing, anti-social behaviour (ASB) was your top priority. It is one of our priorities too and this is how we tackle it:

• We have a dedicated ASB Caseworker who supports over 300 victims of ASB each year- this also includes carrying out complex case work with people who cause anti-social behaviour.
• This year, we are also recruiting an additional ASB caseworker to support those living in Adur Homes’ properties that are impacted by ASB. This work is supported by our Contextual Safeguarding Co-ordinator who specialises in bringing partners together to reduce the harm caused to and sometimes by, children and young people. The Adur and Worthing Neighbourhood Policing team also prioritise ASB and this year, have seen an increase in PCSO numbers and more dedicated patrols, informed by the community sharing locations of concern.
• The Partnership has also accessed money from the Safer Streets’ funding to commission initiatives to reduce ASB, such as increasing positive activities for children.

Violent Crime was the second highest priority for you, and with several high profile incidents in our communities in recent years, we recognise how unsafe this can make people feel and why it is one of our priorities too.

• We have used funding from the West Sussex Violence Reduction Partnership to provide interventions for children most likely to be involved in violent crime, either as a victim or perpetrator.
• We have also supported our school communities to deliver education and interventions for children including support after serious knife incidents.
• Using Safer Streets money, we have increased safety in the night time economy in Adur and Worthing through commissioning training to support staff to spot early signs of problematic behaviour. In Worthing, we have funded taxi marshalls and Street Buddies to prevent escalation of some of the conflict that can happen when people have been drinking.

For Worthing, issues relating to the street community came next. Small in number, but sometimes highly visible in the town, there have been incidents of ASB relating to this community.

• Adur and Worthing councils have maintained a team of outreach workers who are in both Adur and Worthing most days, engaging with people who are rough sleeping and supporting them into accommodation and recovery services.
• Where offers of support are declined and there is ASB, the police and councils have taken enforcement action including dispersal orders, community protection warnings and criminal behaviour orders. This has been successful in preventing the most significant nuisance and disorder from a small minority of people.
• Adur and Worthing Councils also continue to fund and source a variety of accommodation options to ensure that all those who are vulnerable to homelessness, can access stable and secure housing.

In Adur, road safety was the third highest priority. Whilst this isn’t a current partnership priority, the Sussex Police Roads Policing Unit continue to lead this important area of work and the partnership is able to feed into this through reporting any relevant trends/ areas causing concern.

For more information on our current priorities and to learn more about how we are tackling these, please visit our website, where you will find our current three-year strategy:

Adur and Worthing Safer Communities (opens in new window).

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).

We had 130 responses in our recent Community Safety consultation, and we’d like to thank everyone for taking the time to feedback on how safe they feel in their local community. We realise that this may not be reflective of our district as a whole, but it is a good starting point for us to work from.

From the results above, we were able to see the following:

1. You told us Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) was the most prevalent issue for you, including littering, noise and street drinking.

ASB is already a priority for the Chichester District Community Safety Partnership (CSP), and in response we employ a dedicated ASB Caseworker to tackle these issues with other agencies and departments.

We have developed multi-agency security patrols and operations, including ‘Operation Petra’ which focuses on the rail network, to reduce the impact of ASB in our communities and city centre.

On 24 August 2023 we also conducted a day of action in Fishbourne and collected 10 sacks of litter. The day also allowed us, and other partner agencies, to engage directly with a number of residents in the local area and gave us valuable insight into the community. More of these days of action are planned for 2024 and we will update you on these via the Chichester District Council's Facebook, X and Instagram accounts - (all links open in new window).

2. In the consultation, you also told us road safety was a worry, especially speeding. This is another priority that we are already working on, and with Arun District Council, West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service and the Sussex Police Roads Policing team we have set up a Road Safety Action Group which is supporting an anti-speeding campaign across both areas, and will include other, more localised activity to tackle the problem.

3. Drugs and drug dealing were also high up on your list of concerns and we are working in collaboration with Sussex Police to protect the most vulnerable in our communities around drug harm and ensuring safeguards are in place to those who may be being exploited for drug related activity.

We are also supporting Sussex Police around the issue of County Lines drug dealing and sharing intelligence when we have it.

4. You told us rural crime was an issue for the district, and this is also a priority that we are focusing on as a CSP. With this we have been liaising closely with local farmers and the rural crime team at Sussex Police and have made funding available for equipment to tackle rural crime, including trail cameras which will be put in place in areas which we have established as hot spots for this type of theft. Rural crime covers everything from theft of vehicles, such as tractors, quad bikes and other all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), theft of livestock, or rustling, fuel theft and more.

5. Serious violence was also flagged as a concern across West Sussex and we are working with colleagues from Sussex Police and West Sussex County Council to understand what this looks like in Chichester and ensure we respond accordingly to the data and reduce the impact of this crime on our communities, in particular our young people.

Finally, over 50% of you did not know how to engage with the CSP, we are working hard to promote the work we are doing and have had several items in local papers recently, including items on how to stay safe at Christmas and online safety.

We will endeavour to do more public engagement this coming year and promote the best way to contact the CSP, including how to best report any crime or disorder you may have witnessed or experienced.

For the time being, if you need to find out where to report any issues around community safety, you can visit our Chichester District Community Safety Partnership page (opens in new window) on the Chichester District Council website.

We would like to thank everyone who took the time to complete the recent Community Safety consultation. We received 105 responses and whilst we appreciate that these do not represent the population of Crawley as a whole, it does give us an idea regarding what people are concerned about.

The top three issues that people thought the Safer Crawley Partnership (SCP) should be focusing on were:

• Anti-social behaviour (e.g. neighbour nuisance)
• Drugs (e.g. dealing, using and discarded drug paraphernalia)
• Violent crime (e.g. alcohol/drug related assaults, sexual violence)

The top issues highlighted as being a problem in local neighbourhoods included drugs (using and dealing), littering (including drug related litter), driving (risky, anti-social, speeding), environmental crime (illegal waste dumping, fly tipping) and abusive or threatening behaviour.

Here is what we are already doing to tackle the top issues you highlighted to us:

Anti-social behaviour

Anti-social behaviour (ASB) is already a priority for the SCP with a particular focus on youth-related anti-social behaviour. We have funded and continue to fund varied positive activities across the week for young people to engage with. Regular multi-agency meetings also take place to discuss the latest concerns so that interventions can be put in place to deter further ASB.

We also work with our dedicated ASB Team who partner with the police, housing providers and other agencies and departments to find a solution to local issues.

Drug issues

We work in collaboration with Sussex Police to protect the most vulnerable in our communities around drug harm, exploitation and County Lines. We also support the School Pastoral Network to run the annual Safer Schools Event which sees all Year 8 students receive a hard-hitting lived experience presentation from ex-gang members regarding the dangers of getting involved in County Line drug dealing.

Violent crime

Crawley Borough Council works in close partnership with Sussex Police, WSCC, the NHS and other partners to tackle serious violent crime with a particular focus on prevention. As such, the partnership has funded a number of projects which seek to reduce violent crime and increase referrals to the knife intervention project delivered by WSCC and the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust.

Driving (risky, anti-social and speeding)

A Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) has been in place since 2019 to tackle car cruising activity across the whole of Crawley. Any person found in breach of the PSPO could be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice. If you witness any anti-social driving, you can report it online to Operation Crackdown (opens in new window), Sussex Police Road Policing Unit will then be able to take action on the information you provide.

Finally, over 65% of you did not know how to engage with the SCP, we are working hard to promote the work we are doing and will continue to do this. We will endeavour to do more public engagement this coming year and promote the best way to contact the SCP, whilst also directing residents to the right agencies to report any crime or disorder you may have witnessed or experienced.

To find out more about the Safer Crawley Partnership, visit the Community Safety section (opens in new window) on the Crawley Borough Council website.

Thank you to everyone who took the time the complete the recent Safer West Sussex Partnership Community Safety consultation. We received 243 responses for the Horsham District and whilst we appreciate that these do not represent everyone, it does give us an idea as to what people are concerned about.

One specific question we were interested in was ‘In your view, what should the Horsham District Community Safety Partnership focus on?’ the top three responses were:

• Anti-Social Behaviour (includes neighbour nuisance) - 168 responses (69%)
• Drugs (dealing, using and discarded paraphernalia) - 113 responses (46%)
• Road Safety (speeding and anti-social driving) - 69 responses (28%)

These issues were also highlighted in the Horsham District Council’s Community Safety Survey in 2020 (774 responses), which indicates that concern about these issues remains.

The Horsham District Community Safety Partnership (CSP) comprises: Horsham District Council (HDC), Sussex Police, West Sussex County Council (WSCC), West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, a Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner representative, Clinical Commissioning Groups, Sussex and Surrey Probation Service, a housing providers’ representative, and local schools' representative. The partnership meets quarterly to discuss key issues and related actions.

Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB)

HDC has two ASB Caseworkers who work closely with the police, local housing providers, schools and other agencies and departments to find a solution to local issues. There are monthly multi-agency meetings to discuss the latest concerns and HDC has a specific ASB strategy and action plan focusing on developing interventions to reduce incidents, providing support for victims, and building stronger communities. To find out more about how HDC tackles ASB and to read the ASB Policy, visit the HDC website (opens in new window).

HDC’s seven teams of Neighbourhood Wardens work in the community to provide a uniformed presence and to deal with ASB or report direct to the police as reliable witnesses. Where relevant, Environmental Visual Audits are undertaken to help improve safety in key areas.

Drug issues

The police lead on drug issues and the CSP collaborates to protect people from drug harm, exploitation and County Lines. Part of this is also working with local schools to ensure that students get the right advice and signposting as needed.

Road Safety

The roads policing team leads on speeding, anti-social driving and related vehicle noise. HDC shares any information/intelligence they have with them regarding specific areas where this is an issue. WSCC Highways is consulted if it is believed that any road safety measures need to be put in place.

The Horsham District CSP will be meeting soon to confirm the 2024-25 priorities, and the survey results will be considered, along with police’s crime and ASB data. Further information about the Horsham District CSP can be found on the Horsham District Council website (opens in new window).

You can contact Horsham District Council’s Community Safety Team here: communitysafety@horsham.gov.uk (opens i new window).

We are really pleased to share with you that we had 188 responses in our recent Community Safety consultation. We’d like to thank everyone for taking the time to feedback on how safe they feel in their local community. Your feedback is incredibly valuable and gives us insight into the concerns that matter most to you.

While we understand that these responses may not represent the entire district, they provide us with a helpful snapshot and your input helps guide our efforts to address the issues that concern you.

You've highlighted that Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB), including abusive behaviour and littering, is a priority concern and rest assured ASB is also a top priority for us. We have two dedicated officers focused on tackling ASB and Sussex Police regularly hold surgeries in our towns and villages to encourage residents to speak to them about local issues. We also work with Sussex Police to hold joint engagement sessions throughout the year. With regards to littering, we have the authority to issue Fixed Penalty Notices to anyone caught littering within the district.

Your concerns about anti-social driving, especially speeding, have not gone unnoticed. We've extended our Public Spaces Protection Order to address car cruising in specific areas. The Sussex Safer Roads Partnership and Sussex Police are also actively addressing anti-social driving and speeding, with an upcoming anti-speeding campaign planned to raise awareness.

We've also heard your worries about drugs and drug dealing in our communities. Collaborating closely with Sussex Police, we're working to safeguard the most vulnerable and combat drug-related activity. Our ongoing efforts include addressing County Line drug dealing and reviewing drug demand across the district to better understand and reduce it.

Addressing serious crime, such as robbery or theft, continues to be a priority for us. Our Mid Sussex Neighbourhood Policing Teams are dedicated to supporting victims, and we work closely with the Regional Organised Crime Unit to combat cybercrime. Additionally, the establishment of the Mid Sussex Business Crime Partnership in 2023 demonstrates our commitment to tackling business crime, including prolific shoplifting.

We understand that many of you may be unsure how to engage with the Mid Sussex Partnership (MSP). We want to make it as easy as possible for you to connect with us. You can find more information on our website, and we encourage you to report any crime or disorder you witness or experience through our online platform. You can find out more information at Mid Sussex Partnership - Mid Sussex District Council (opens in new window). You can also report any crime or disorder you may have witnessed or experienced to Sussex Police on 101 or 999 in an emergency. ASB can be reported on our website at Anti-Social Behaviour and Crime - Mid Sussex District Council (opens in new window).

Between September and October 2023, the six Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) in West Sussex asked residents how safe they felt in their local community. Thanks to you, they received a total of 1,353 responses from residents across the county.

We all agree that the responses may not be representative of all the communities that make up West Sussex, but they did confirm that what the CSPs are working on within their areas already covers the concerns raised in the consultation.

The Safer West Sussex Partnership (SWSP) seeks to add value to the work already undertaken by individual agencies/localities within the partnership and look at overarching issues affecting more than one area that require collaboration to address. This is why we are also reporting back on what we are doing, as the partnership, based on the feedback received through the consultation.

Anti-social driving

Driving - risky or anti-social, was flagged as the top issue in people’s local neighbourhood as part of the consultation. To try and reduce this, we are working alongside the CSPs and Sussex Police to tackle anti-social car meets, which some areas have had sporadic problems with, and the police have also identified sections of road in the county, as well as some private car park areas, which are cause for concern. Residents are encouraged to report any concerns with anti-social driving to Operation Crackdown (opens in new window) which is the county-wide Sussex Safer Roads Partnership initiative.

In some districts and boroughs, there has also been Public Space Protection Orders implemented in ‘hot-spot’ areas to effectively ban anti-social driving. This work sits alongside Sussex Police’s Operation Downsway, where the Roads Policing Team units are deployed across the county to stop drivers and motorcyclists from careless driving; drink and drug driving; not wearing a seatbelt; using a mobile phone and speeding.

Partnership working is integral to delivering long-term road safety and we are currently engaging with police, alongside the CSPs (who have additional locality information which will prove important to police intelligence), and reviewing if there is any problem solving which can be achieved at some of the specific locations where risky or anti-social driving occurs.

Anti-social behaviour

Residents raised anti-social behaviour (ASB) as another key concern and there is a wide range of activity underway to respond to this. District and borough councils have invested in Anti-Social Behaviour Caseworkers to investigate and support victims and residents of ASB. These roles are key in working with other partners, including the police, to mitigate the harm caused by these types of incidents.

In March, the Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner welcomed the Government’s announcement that Sussex has been chosen as a trailblazer for the new ‘Immediate Justice’ pilot and given additional funding to develop this. The Immediate Justice scheme (opens in new window) will see ASB offenders paying back to the community through unpaid work and repairing damage and harm they may have caused.

Looking forward, there is planned work underway to target ASB hotpots and this includes town centres as well as the rail network. Across the partnership there is an intent to reduce the impact of ASB and use all the powers available, however, to do this effectively it is essential that ASB is reported to your local district or borough CSP.

Countywide engagement with young people

As part of our duties within the partnership, we are required to go out and seek views and opinions from all of our residents to find out more about our communities. The Community Safety consultation, although available for anyone to fill out, was designed and delivered for our adult population and this left out our younger residents.

To address this, we have undertaken a separate and youth focused consultation. This ‘Youth Safety Survey’ has been aimed at 11–18-year-olds and has looked at how safe young people feel in their local community and if they have had any experiences of violence, drug and alcohol use. The survey also included more positive questions, for instance what young people like about where they live and what they like to do in their local area.

This survey has run throughout March 2024 and has been targeted at all places that educate young people, including secondary schools, colleges, and electively home educated students. We will report the findings of this survey once the results have been analysed.

Where to report concerns

In the consultation, 1,079 people (79.5%) said they either didn’t know, or were unsure on, how to inform their relevant CSP about any anti-social behaviour or any community safety issues.

This became a really important takeaway from the consultation, and all CSPs are looking at different ways they can advertise and improve awareness on where different types of crime and anti-social behaviour can be reported. As the SWSP, all partner members will support this endeavour to help educate people on the right reporting channels dependent on the issue they have.

To find out more about the SWSP, including our purpose, our current priorities and our members, visit www.westsussex.gov.uk/SWSP (opens in new window).