Stafford Borough Council to publish community safety plan

Community Safety Partnerships, which involve local authorities and other organisations, have a statutory duty under the new Serious Violence Act to share information and work with partner agencies to prevent and tackle serious violence in their areas.

Stafford Borough Council receives Locality Deal Funding (LDF) from the Staffordshire Commissioner towards work to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour in the borough – and it is required to work with partner organisations to draw up and publish a community safety plan.

The borough’s latest Community Safety and Wellbeing Strategy, which covers the years from 2020 to 2024, was put out to public consultation earlier this year.

The document stated: “From children to the elderly, serious violence can affect people across all stages of life. Many survive serious violence but suffer physical, mental, and/or emotional health problems throughout the rest of their lives.

“We are committed to stopping serious violence before it begins. We aim to address this through understanding the issue and local needs, addressing risk factors that increase the likelihood of somebody becoming an offender or a victim.

“Prevention and early help support will be central to our approach and will require the commitment of a range of agencies and communities in Stafford Borough and surrounding areas.”

On Thursday the strategy returned to the council’s cabinet, during a meeting conducted by video conference due to current restrictions on public gatherings aimed at reducing the spread of Covid-19.

Priorities

Councillor Jeremy Pert, cabinet member for community and health, said: “This is a strategy put forward in conjunction with partners and has been out to consultation. It brings in some funding to the borough council to help us deliver this.

“The strategy is based on our priorities, based on some in-depth research, and focuses on alcohol and mental health, domestic abuse, antisocial behaviour and criminal exploitation – which is modern day slavery and fraud – and reducing the impacts in our community.

“Some of the work is done directly with victims or to protect people and some of the work is done through our excellent work in schools, trying to help people with an understanding of the issues and how to avoid them in the first place.”

Fellow cabinet members agreed for the strategy to be published on the borough council’s website, approved and submitted to the next full council meeting for ratification. The next full council meeting was due to take place on Tuesday, April 21.

But leader Patrick Farrington reminded cabinet members that formal borough council meetings had been suspended until September.

He said: “We wouldn’t want to delay the approval of the strategy if we can avoid it.

“The proposal would be to approve the strategy and implement it with formal council ratification at a later date.”

Councillor Aidan Godfrey, leader of the opposition group, added: “It is a very important document. It should have been going to council.

“As long as all members of the council are kept up to speed with any developments regarding this I’m happy with it.”