Date
On 29 September, North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Andy Dunbobbin met Shotton West Councillor, and Flintshire Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration, Sean Bibby, to see how new crime fighting initiatives are making a difference and helping to keep local residents safer in Shotton.
The projects have been funded through the Safer Streets Fund, which is a £75 million Home Office programme that encourages Police and Crime Commissioners and local authorities to bid for investment for initiatives to prevent neighbourhood crime. It was announced in July last year that the Shotton and Queensferry areas of Flintshire had been successful in their bid for over £385,000 from the fund. Partners involved in the Flintshire bid were North Wales Police, Flintshire County Council, Flintshire Youth Justice Services and services involved in working to prevent violence against women in North Wales.
Since the announcement last year, partners have been working hard to put plans into action locally. During their walk around Shotton, Andy Dunbobbin and Councillor Bibby saw some of the projects’ successes and, as a resident of Connah’s Quay and a town councillor for many years, the PCC was interested to see the difference the funding and projects had made in the area.
After meeting near the Shotton Town Council office in Alexandra Street, the PCC and Cllr Bibby visited Green Lane, then stopped at North Street and Westminster Crescent, followed by Killin’s Lane and Queensway. The pair were able to see some of the CCTV cameras installed as part of the scheme and to speak to local residents, who told of the difference the measures had made in preventing anti-social behaviour and other crime in the area.
Among other Safer Streets successes locally, the area has seen:
- The installation of 6 re-deployable CCTV cameras. An additional CCTV camera has also now been purchased and is in place at the main Queensferry Roundabout junction with the A494, supporting the environmental works there.
- Street Lighting and landscaping.
- Locations have been identified by the local community, councillors and authorities, such as in the Nelson Street and Westminster Crescent areas for works including the widening of footpaths and improved lighting and surveillance of the areas and re-enforcing physical boundaries to areas suffering from fly tipping.
- Target Hardening and Crime Prevention Packs have been offered to 250 households and 250 cars have been provided with crime prevention measures. Much of this has taken place in the Green Lane area, with excellent feedback from residents.
- Training for multi-agency staff from the local authority and North Wales Police has been delivered by Action for Children.
- An advertising campaign was run to highlight the Force’s‘We Don’t Buy Crime’ initiative, as well as campaigns around preventing anti-social behaviour and violence against women and girls.
- Funding has also provided equipment for three local football clubs, enabling them to offer coaching services and competitive matches to young people within the area. One of the clubs has also been able to offer a female-only weekly club, enabling young women to engage in sporting activity in a safe and inclusive environment.
- The Fit, Fed and Read project ran across the summer holidays involving sports activities, local library services and meal provision. The scheme ran weekly across the holidays and was open to young people from within the project areas. The weekly session saw a total of 655 attendees and 375 free meals issued. Additionally, vouchers for use in the Deeside Leisure centre were issued to participants. The vouchers were for activities that would encourage health, fitness and team working.
Andy Dunbobbin, Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales, commented: "It was great to see the difference that the Safer Streets initiative is making in Shotton and to hear first-hand from residents about how much it has helped reduce instances of anti-social behaviour near their homes. Delivering safer neighbourhoods is a key part of my plan for fighting crime in North Wales and I am pleased to be working with Police, the local authority, and the local councillors in the area to make our communities safer and more pleasant to live. I thank them all for their support and hard efforts.”
One local resident said: “Since the cameras have been installed it’s a lot quieter and we don’t get groups of people hanging around anymore, which means it’s a lot more peaceful. Plus, the new lighting is amazing! All the neighbours are really pleased with it and they all comment about how much more lit up and safer it feels. I am grateful to the local councillors, the Commissioner and the Police for their work.”
Councillor Sean Bibby commented: “I would like to thank the PPC and North Wales Police along with partner agencies for their support in obtaining Safer Streets funding for Shotton from the Home Office. A number of initiatives have been put in place to address residents’ concerns with ASB and drug dealing activity. I have very positive feedback from residents in particular with the re-deployable CCTV, additional street lighting and crime prevention packs. Hopefully the infrastructure that the initiative has funded will have a long-term impact in tackling crime and anti-social behaviour in our community.”
Councillor David Evans, Shotton East and Shotton Higher Ward, said: “The Safer Streets funding initiative has been very positive for the East and Higher Shotton areas as various target hardening equipment such as ring doorbells and external solar lighting have given residents far more reassurance and feelings of safety. This is in addition to the new street lighting, footpath widening and CCTV cameras.
“Both Cllr Bibby and I visited the video control room at County Hall in Mold to view the impact and areas of coverage of the cameras and were pleased to see them in operation. I hope that they will not only have the desired effect of reducing crime but may also aid the police in apprehending criminal activity in the area. I hope that we can expand into other areas of Shotton as future funding becomes available.”