Crime and Disorder Audit 2002
The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 requires the Local Authorities and Police, as the 'responsible bodies', to audit the state of crime and disorder within each borough every three years and produced a strategy to deal with the issues identified.
The purpose of this our second Audit is to review current priorities and to stimulate a programme of widespread public consultation. Both the Audit and consultation processes should lead to an informed, updated and pertinent new three-year strategy. A new three-year strategy was implemented on the 1st April 2002 to address any newly identified changes needed to our priorities or fresh community concerns.
Over the last nine months an extensive and rigorous audit process has been undertaken to establish the real problems in the Borough of Hyndburn. The results are by no means surprising, but the true cost of Crime and Disorder in the borough is a staggering £25.2 million each year.
This is a cost having to be met by a number of agencies that provide services in the borough. Health, Probation, Police, Fire and Rescue, Ambulance, Hyndburn Borough Council and Lancashire County Council all have corporate plans to address issues aimed at stemming social and economic decline, crime and anti-social behaviour.
No single agency can tackle these problems alone. It is nationally recognised that a co-ordinated and co-operative approach to problem solving is the best way forward.
Davina Helm,
Community Safety Officer on 01254 380995
or via e-mail at:- davina.helm@hyndburnbc.gov.uk