Falling crime trend continues in borough
Crime in the
Scarborough borough is continuing to tumble against a national
backdrop which is seeing offences creep up.
New figures from 1 April to 30 June 2011
reveal a reduction of 301 crimes in the first quarter compared with
the same period last year, with offences down from 2,006 to
1,705.
It continues a trend which has seen crime
fall continuously over the last six years. Last year recorded crime
across the Scarborough borough dropped to a new low of 7,340
offences, against 7,592, 8,176, 8,517, 9,001, 9,986, and 10,764, in
the six preceding years.
According to Scarborough Police the real
effect of this is 13,972 fewer victims of crime in that period than
there would have been if the 2004 figures had been maintained.
Inspector Tony Quinn from Scarborough
Police believes the trend of falling crime is primarily as a result
of “Team Scarborough” – residents and agencies taking pride in the
borough and working together to ensure it is a place they are happy
to live and others want to visit.
He said: “If people didn’t care they
wouldn’t ring and tell us when they see crime and anti-social
behaviour, but they do. They also hold us to account when problems
occur which is healthy and keeps us focused. Perhaps most tellingly
they get up and tackle crime themselves via Neighbourhood Watch and
many other voluntary organisations.”
North Yorkshire Police continues to target
operations at persistent offenders and “hot spot” locations,
building on previous initiatives to reduce offending in particular
at night.
Funding has been made available to continue
the Night Marshal scheme for a further three years until March
2014, with the cash coming from a Government Performance Reward
Grant given to North Yorkshire County Council in recognition of
achievements made across the county in reducing crime and
disorder.
Other initiatives have been introduced
aimed at reducing alcohol related crime and anti-social behaviour,
including the Youth Angel Scheme, which, like the established
Street Angels, involves volunteers working on the streets.
The Youth Angels work closely with “Street
Safe”, a scheme involving the North Yorkshire County Council Youth
Service, Targeted Youth Support and the Police. All work together
on Friday evenings, supporting and dealing with young people found
drinking in public spaces in Scarborough Town Centre, encouraging
them to give up alcohol and engage in positive
activities.
Another factor which is helping to reduce
crime is the work done by voluntary or “Friends” groups which have
developed over recent years encouraged by the support of
Scarborough Borough Council. The growth of these self help groups
has been led by Roger Burnett and Sheila Johnson from the council
and the individual group leaders with the aim of improving the
environment across the borough. These groups actively care for the
borough’s gardens and public spaces in their own time and work with
police to tackle crime such as graffiti.
Local schools including the Pupil
Referral Unit have increasingly played an important part by
ensuring young persons at risk of offending are engaged in positive
educational activities and not left to their own devices.
Scarborough Hospital has also played an
important part in working to reduce alcohol related assaults, in
particular the Accident and Emergency Department.
The sharp reduction in crime and
anti-social behaviour on the Barrowcliff estate in Scarborough is
seen as the best current example of agencies and community working
together.
The “My Barrowcliff” project involves the
estate residents and tenants association, police, Scarborough
Borough Council, North Yorkshire County Council, Graham and
Raincliffe school confederation, Scalby School, Northstead and
Barrowcliff Junior Schools, Yorkshire Coast Homes, Sanctuary
Housing and many local residents. This work aimed at regenerating
the estate and building community cohesion is now supported by
money made available by the Local Strategic Partnership and led by
the charity Groundwork North, through Tom Mutton.
Scarborough Borough Council Strategic
Director Hilary Jones said: “This is a great success for the ‘Team
Scarborough’ approach and shows just what can be achieved when
public services, community groups and the community at large work
together to tackle what are very complex issues. Everyone who has
made a contribution should feel justifiably proud.”
Barry Graham, Crime Reduction and Anti-Social Behaviour
Co-ordinator for the Safer Communities Partnership, said: “The
continued reduction in crime year on year is due in a major part to
the good working relationship of the many agencies involved, and
the local communities across the borough, who have a pride in the
area, and want to make the area a better place. We can only
continue to reduce crime if we all work together and the most
important people in this are the local communities.”