In Wiltshire, the county’s Community Safety and Drugs Partnerships, in co-operation with the Wiltshire Strategic Board, announced their new strategy at a launch on June 28 at The Corn Exchange in Devizes.
The Wiltshire Strategy for Reducing Crime and Combating Drugs Misuse 2005 – 2008 was received and agreed by the cabinets and boards of the partners earlier this year.
The latest strategy was put together with the help of the county council, the four district councils, the primary care trusts, Wiltshire police and the Fire and Police Authorities.
It sets out a framework for tackling problems of crime, anti-social behaviour and drug and alcohol misuse over the three year period.
It identifies which problems will receive particularly close attention over this time, and sets clear targets, which, if they are achieved, will make Wiltshire an even safer place to live, work and visit than it is now.
The areas that will be targeted include prolific offenders, protecting vulnerable groups, crime hotspots, encouraging domestic violence victims to report abuse, more effective alcohol and drug treatments and making residents understand that they live in a safe county.
Each of the four community safety partnership areas will be producing a strategy to complement the main one over the coming months to help deal with more local issues.
Keith Robinson, on behalf of Safer Wiltshire (the Drugs Partnership), Jane Scott as chairman of the Wiltshire Strategic Board, and local community safety staff for the districts’ community safety partnerships addressed the audience with keynote speeches.
Jane Scott said: "Wiltshire has been recognised as one of the safest counties in which to live in England and Wales. This strategy will help to keep that status and improve it further.
"A great deal of hard work has gone into this document, and a lot of work will need to be done to implement it, but the framework set out will safeguard the future of crime reduction and prevention in the county," she added.
The report is a summary of the strategic priorities. The complete audit and strategy documents for crime, anti-social behaviour and drug misuse in Wiltshire, covering all four Wiltshire districts, can be found on the Wiltshire Police Authority website:
