County crime initiatives highlighted on BBC website
A project aimed at tackling criminal damage in Denbighshire is to feature as an example of best practice on a website being launched to coincide with a BBC crime television series.
The Denbighshire Community Safety Partnership will feature on the BBC’s Truth About Crime website and is one of 26 schemes from across the UK featured following a rigorous selection process.
It was chosen for its efforts to reduce crime. During the period from April 2007 to March 2008, the Partnership set itself a target to reduce criminal damage by 20% – the actual drop was 42%.
The initiatives used to reduce crime in the county and which are highlighted on the website include:
· Alley gates were installed in a hotspot area
· Multi-agency visits to licensed premises
· Test purchasing – denying young people access to alcohol
· Alcohol controlled zones in Rhyl, Prestatyn and Llangollen
· Environmental clean up and recording of graffiti
· Introduction of graffiti boards and some artistic support, to give young people the change to express themselves artistically without causing damage
· Operation GROG (Get rid of graffiti), a Crimestoppers based initiative
· Graffiti hotspots were identified and painted with a mural using a local artist and ‘local graffiti artists’
The panel that chose to feature the Denbighshire initative on the website said: “A good example of a project combining a mix of hotspots policing, environmental design and other safety measures,. Through conventional rather than innovative, the reported crime reduction results are impressive”.
Stephen Hughes from Denbighshire Community Safety Partnership said: “Although it is often low level things such as smashed windows, fly tipping or graffiti, criminal damage has a disproportionate effect on people’s fear of crime.
“We have used a variety of methods to achieve and exceed our target of reducing criminal damage in the county. However, we will not become complacent and the fight against crime in Denbighshire is continuing.
“To be recognised as an example of best practice across the UK is a tremendous achievement, something of which all the partners involved in the Partnership are extremely proud of and we would encourage people to take a look at the website for further information, as well as accessing a wide range of information and crime prevention advice.”
To visit the site, click on www.bbc.co.uk/truthaboutcrime, then click on the ‘Take Action’ section. You can access the information about the Denbighshire initiative by typing in a Denbighshire post code.
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