'Community safety' relates to your sense of personal security and feeling of safety in a place where you live, work, or spend your leisure time. It covers a number of projects, including Neighbourhood Policing. It is about being safe and feeling safe, by addressing locally identified priorities. There are ways that you can get involved to improve the safety of your own community.
Community Safety Partnerships, or CSPs, were established on a voluntary basis here in 2003 to bring together the police, local councils, voluntary, community and business sectors, the Housing Executive, and other services like youth justice and probation to develop and deliver action plans to tackle local crime and disorder.
By working together to reduce crime, the fear (or perception) of crime and anti-social behaviour, they help to make Northern Ireland a safer place to live, work and socialise.
Your Community Safety Partnership manager can tell you more about the community safety strategy for your area. They can also explain local crime reduction schemes that you could join and tell you what actions are being taken to tackle problems. You can also have your say by attending local community meetings.
Neighbourhood Policing Teams are made up of full and part-time police officers and partner organisations. Their job is to listen to the things that really matter to you in your area, while working together with the community to find sustainable solutions.
One of the simplest ways you can make a difference is to join your local Neighbourhood Watch Scheme. If there isn't one in your area you might consider starting one. Your local police station, or CSP manager, should be able to put you in touch with a scheme near you.
There is also a diverse range of local groups working in the community that encourage residents to get involved. For example, Partners and Communities Together (PACT) and local Neighbourhood Policing team panels. Talk to your local team to find out what's happening in your area and how you can get involved.
Crime, justice and the law
