A new community safety plan has been introduced by the Huntingdonshire Community Safety Partnership to tackle crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour. 

It sets out objectives and action points for the next three years on how to keep Huntingdonshire safe and secure and continually improve quality of life for its residents.

New and developing communities, reduced anti-social behaviour, reduced crime, reduced fear of crime and better working with young people are the partnerships main priorities which it will be addressing.  These top issues are in response to what the people of Huntingdonshire said they were concerned about during extensive consultation last year.

Claudia Waters, Community Safety Team Leader, Huntingdonshire District Council said: “The plan is intended to outline how the district council, Cambridgeshire County Council, Luminus Group, Cambridgeshire Constabulary and the Youth Offending Service and our many other partners are working together to make Huntingdonshire an even safer and more secure place to live and work.”

She added; it also helps prevent duplication of work through partners communicating, sharing information and supporting each other to achieve the same results”.

The Community Safety Partnership has already achieved outstanding results and exceeded the targets set. With 33 per cent reduction in woundings, 21.4 per cent increase in the reporting of domestic violence, 46.5 per cent reduction in thefts of vehicles and 37.1 per cent reduction in theft from vehicles.

Various initiatives that have been underway to help tackle the issues and will continue over the coming years include consultations and summer schemes with young people, the use of the mobile CCTV van in hot spot areas to help prevent crime and provide reassurance to residents, a respectful use of balls campaign to reduce anti social behaviour and a domestic violence scheme where each partner contributes financially to a domestic violence coordinator and advocacy service to help residents in need.

More information can be found in the Huntingdonshire Community Safety Plan 2008 – 11, which can be viewed or downloaded from the community safety pages by using the link on the right or if you would like a hard copy contact the Community Safety Team on 01480 388388.