Not in my Neighbourhood!

14 October 2008

This week will see a flurry of activity throughout the Caerphilly county borough, as the Safer Caerphilly Community Safety Partnership take part in "Not in my Neighbourhood Week".

"Not in my Neighbourhood Week" is a national dedicated week of activity which aims to raise public awareness of the full extent of all the work that is being done by local agencies to tackle crime and anti social behaviour and make communities safer.

Gwent Police, Caerphilly County Borough Council and other partners within the Safer Caerphilly Community Safety Partnership, have consequently put together a structured plan of action for the week, to really emphasise to local residents the full extent of the excellent work being undertaken in the local area to tackle crime, disorder and anti social behaviour.

Although levels of BCS (British Crime Survey) crime have decreased by an excellent 22.8% over the past three years throughout the county borough, research suggests that many residents still feel that, in their opinion levels of crime have more or less stayed the same, or in rare cases increased.

This is not simply the case for the Caerphilly county borough area – it is in fact a national issue.

"Not in my Neighbourhood Week" is therefore an ideal opportunity for agencies such as the Safer Caerphilly Community Safety Partnership to really showcase exactly what is being done in the county borough to tackle crime and anti social behaviour, and emphasise the fact that the Caerphilly county borough really is a very safe place to live, work and visit.

Activities that will be taking place throughout the borough during "Not in my Neighbourhood Week" include:

• Visits from Gwent Police School Liaison Officers to local schools to discuss the dangers associated with Halloween and Bonfire Night and to encourage pro social behaviour
• Here to Help events, which are aimed at people aged 50+ from across the borough, and will offer advice and information on a wide range of safety issues, such as how to deal with bogus callers
• An operation in the Bedwas area to target speeding motorists – this tends to be a regular issue identified at PACT (Partnerships and Communities Together) meetings
• An increase in the number of test purchases of alcohol made by Caerphilly Council's Trading Standards Department throughout the whole borough
• Increased CCTV monitoring, courtesy of Caerphilly Council's mobile CCTV van, which will be deployed to well known anti social behaviour "hotspot" areas throughout the borough
• An increase in high visibility patrols by Gwent Police Officers, Police Community Support Officers and Caerphilly Council's Community Safety Wardens to provide reassurance to local residents
• Visits by Community Safety Wardens and PCSO's to local shopkeepers, urging them not to sell items such as flour and eggs to youngsters in the build up to Halloween

Cabinet member for the environment, Cllr Lyn Ackerman said, "It is focussed, multi agency awareness events such as this, which truly illustrates partnership working at its best. By pooling our knowledge and resources with that of our colleagues at partner agencies including Gwent Police, we hope to be able to reinforce the message through positive action, that the Caerphilly county borough really is a very safe place to live."

The Safer Caerphilly Community Safety Partnership is a multi agency organisation, whose five statutory bodies are Caerphilly County Borough Council, Gwent Police, South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority, Caerphilly Teaching Local Health Board and Gwent Police Authority. It works to reduce levels of crime, disorder, anti social behaviour and substance misuse in the local area.

For further information, please contact the Safer Caerphilly Community Safety Partnership on 01443 864374.