nottspoliceA project to ‘design out’ crime was officially launched in a Nottinghamshire village on Friday (March 11).
East Stoke is believed to be the first community in the country to have had security in all its homes upgraded and CCTV installed to cover the entire village.
The project began two years ago and has now resulted in the community being awared Secured By Design status by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).
Secured by Design is a police initiative to encourage the building industry to adopt crime prevention measures in the design of developments to assist in reducing the opportunity for crime and the fear of crime, creating a safer and more secure environment.
The project involved ensuring that doors and windows has effective locks, and that garden and shed security measures are also taken. Installation of security lighting and intruder alarms has also been included.
The village’s CCTV and street lighting coverage have also been extended.
Nottinghamshire Police has teamed up with the county council and the village’s Neighbourhood Watch group, led by resident Sid Davies, to develop the initiative, which also received National Lottery Funding.
Assistant Chief Constable Ian Ackerley, who came up with the proposal for achieving SBD status, said: "We all like to feel our communities are becoming increasingly safer, and across Nottinghamshire crime is reducing at a faster rate than anywhere else in England and Wales.
"Those reductions have been achieved by employing a plethora of different approaches which are appropriate to each of our communities.
"What is happening in East Stoke is truly innovative, resulting from police and partner organisations listening to the community here and responding with a solution that has been talked about in Nottinghamshire for some time.
"I’m delighted to say that this project is now complete, thanks in part to funding from Nottinghamshire County Council and the National Lottery, and that East Stoke is ready to become a trailblazer for improving community safety and, consequently, its residents’ quality of life.
"I’d like to pay tribute to the dedication and commitment of the residents of East Stoke, and in particular Sid Davies, who has been the driving force to develop this initiative. Their input has been inspirational and every bit as important as the work of the partner agencies involved.
"For that alone, they deserve the greater peace of mind that this project will hopefully bring them."
Listen to this boo to find out from Neighbourhood Watch chair Sid Davies, ACC Ian Ackerley and Architectural Liaison Officer Kevin Brown, how the project has developed.
For more information about policing in Nottinghamshire visit www.nottinghamshire.police.uk
nottspoliceChief Constable Julia Hodson switched her focus to the city this week as she continued her opinion-gathering tour of Nottinghamshire.
Earlier this month, the Chief announced a series of trips to visit various groups in the county to ask them for their feedback about policing.
This week she joined two Nottingham beat teams at meetings they regularly attend to talk about the issues affecting the communities they look after.
Ms Hodson explained: "It's essential the police are visible, accessible and responsive to everyone in Nottinghamshire and that includes me. I want to learn how people feel about safety in their neighbourhood, from as many of the varied communities in the county as possible, and discuss how we can improve their quality of life.
"Collecting feedback from public groups such as the ones I will visit in Nottingham over the next few weeks will be crucial in helping to shape some tough decisions against a backdrop of unprecedented financial restraints."
The Chief joined the Forest Fields beat team for the lunch-time curry buffet at the Forest Fields Community Centre, in Sturton Street, Nottingham, today (October 28).
Hear her and chair of the Pakistan Forum Michael Ilyas explain how the police and community are working together to beat antisocial behaviour and make the area a safe place to live, work and visit.
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