Hull has a new Safer Entertainment Zone.
The partners – City Council, Hull Citysafe, Humberside Police, the Fire Service, Trading Standards and local licensees – are launching a poster campaign highlighting new fixed penalty fines for bar staff who serve anyone who is under age. Repeat offenders could face a 24-hour ban on the sale of alcohol or even have their licence revoked.
The Safer Entertainment Zone (SEZ) aims, through a partnership approach, to make the city a safer place for everyone.
Hull City Council’s Chief Executive, Kim Ryley, who chairs the Citysafe board, said effective partnership working of this kind is the latest weapon in the fight against crime: "No council can tackle effectively the major challenges of social change alone. We work at our best where we collaborate in active partnership with other public services – such as health and the police – as well as with our local communities. This partnership approach is being used with growing success by the City Council.
"For example, our close working with Humberside Police is visibly cutting crime and making Hull a safer place to live and to visit. This new kind of joined-up service is now the way we do business, by choice. Our success is based on more than regular meetings and events. We now share specialist staff, police officers, neighbourhood wardens and other enforcement staff, along with information, to target crime "hot spots". And it works."
Mr Ryley has now been joined by Chief Supt Sean White, who has recently taken over as Deputy Chair of the Citysafe Board. He replaces Chief Supt Paul Cheeseman, who developed the role of the board during his five years as the police commander in Hull.
Other partners on the Citysafe board include the Governor of Hull Prison and the Chief Probation Officer, as well as senior representatives from Humberside Police Authority, Humberside Fire Service, the local Primary Care Trusts, the business sector and voluntary sector.
This has been one of the most successful partnerships in recent years in the City, achieving significant results in reducing crime levels locally, it is claimed. This can be seen from the most recent crime figures (2003/04):-
20pc increase in detection rates for violent crime and a 25pc reduction in alcohol related violent crime
The Tackling Violent Crime Project has cut violent crime in the City Centre by over 30pc since it was launched six months ago.
Hull is no longer the burglary capital of Britain, with recent reductions of around 25pc in this type of crime.
Other examples of successful initiatives to reduce crime and disorder have seen:
citywide CCTV system held up as one of best schemes in the country, it is claimed.
Over 15,000 houses in Hull have been provided with improved security, by the fitting of free security equipment including door and window locks.
Alley-gating schemes, a system which gates off alleys and "ten foots" to prevent burglary and anti-social behaviour taking place, implemented in many areas, with financial assistance from the City Council.
The four "Copshops", another partnership scheme developed first in Hull, have been held up by the Home Office as a model for the rest of the country to follow.
A Hate Crime Co-ordinator has recently been appointed to assist in the better protection of vulnerable minority groups in the city.
What they say
Chief Supt Sean White, Humberside Police Divisional Commander, City of Hull, said: "I am delighted that we are forging even stronger partnership links with the City Council and other major partners in the city. We have set a challenging target for the next three years (2005-08) to reduce crime by 30 per cent, bring more offenders to justice and provide a visible, reassuring and accessible police presence. We know that joint partnership community safety works and during the coming months and years we will be working on a wide range of initiatives and projects with our partners. It’s an exciting time to be part of something that is central to making Hull a safer place within which people can live, work and visit."
