5 OCTOBER 2007:  Harrogate District Safer Communities Partnership is taking their crime fighting story straight to the streets as part of a Home Office national campaign.

 

Safer Community Partnerships up and down the country will be using 'Not in My Neighbourhood Week' (15/21 October) to raise awareness of the excellent work being done to tackle crime and highlight the work the Partnerships do to keep people and communities safe from crime.

 

Representatives from the local Partnership including local police and Harrogate Borough Council's Public Protection team will be out and about in the Harrogate district highlighting ways in which people can take their own action to keep their property safe from theft or damage.

 

They will also be demonstrating to the public that there is a huge range of people working to keep them safe including hard working volunteers from Neighbourhood Watch who are this year celebrating 25 years of making communities safer.

 

Councillor Les Ellington, Chair of the Partnership and Cabinet Member at Harrogate Borough Council for Public Protection, said:  "We are successfully tackling crime and that has been recognised in national polls which in September showed that we had topped the league for the ninth consecutive month.  I would urge anyone living or visiting our district to pop along to one of the events we are holding to learn a little bit more about the work that we are doing.  They will also be able to find out about some simple but effective means of making sure that they protect themselves against criminal activity. 

 

"This district is a very safe district to live in and to visit and we hope to keep it that way" 

 

Activities during 'Not in My Neighbourhood Week" include:

 

15 October - North Yorkshire Police will launch Operation Weathervane aimed at avoiding damage to motor vehicles in hotspot areas.

 

16 October - Community Safety Officers will be present at the Neighbourhood Watch AGM at Hornbeam Park; the meeting is open to the public and starts at 7.00 pm.  The Partnership will be distributing leaflets on reporting anti social behaviour and talking to the Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinators.

 

17 October - Community Safety Officers will be in and around Harrogate town centre working alongside Police Community Support Officers for the day, speaking to the public.

 

19 October - Tackling vehicle crime.  A vehicle will be on display in Prospect Crescent, near the War Memorial, demonstrating the vulnerable parts of a car.

 

Literature will be available and Community Safety Officers and PCSOs will be on hand to offer advice.

 

20 October - Bike marking at Bilton Youth Centre on Bilton Lane, Harrogate, 10.00 am to 3.00 pm.  Get your bike postcoded for free.

 

Also throughout the week, the Partnership's problem solving approach will be highlighted through a number of meetings throughout the district with key members of the community being invited to attend.