Nottinghamshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner ( PCC ) has launched her four-year plan to target criminals and reduce offending – which includes setting up a new taskforce to target anti-social behaviour.
Caroline Henry (Con) must set out her objectives for the next four years in her Police and Crime Plan, which will undergo scrutiny before being approved.
The 18-page plan will be unveiled at Nottinghamshire County Council’s Police and Crime Panel on Monday, November 15.
Mrs Henry says she intends to create “a hostile environment” for those who attempt to break the law and run organised criminal gangs in Nottinghamshire.
Around £400,000 will be pumped into late-night policing, which includes the city-based Operation Guardian, targeting those peddling drugs such as cocaine and cannabis to people on nights out.
The money will also be invested in projects aimed at keeping women and girls safe after a number of spiking by needle reports.
She will also launch a £100,000 crime prevention fund for initiatives to increase “neighbourhood safety and feelings of safety in vulnerable and hotspot locations across Nottinghamshire”.
There will also be an annual £250,000 ‘Make Notts Safe Fund’ for community-led third sector organisations to take action to address the community safety issues they face.
She will also invest £1.5m to direct young people out of the court system by addressing “the underlying causes of early onset offending”.
More than £2.6m of her budget will also go into local drug treatment services for offenders across Nottinghamshire.
Mrs Henry will also establish an Anti-social Behaviour Taskforce to help increase “public confidence in the response to ASB”.
She will also continue to invest in the police’s Serious Organised Crime Units, an the Road Policing Team, with the aim of expanding the number of Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras across the county.
But there will be a heavier focus on rural crime as part of her plan, as she feels some parts of the county such as Bassetlaw had missed out in the past.
This includes improving the recording and reporting of specific rural crimes such as farm machinery theft, fuel theft, fly tipping, poaching, livestock offences and equine crime.
She said: “It is an ambitious plan that is unapologetically tough on crime and has the needs of victims and communities at its heart.
“It is my vision that by the end of my term in office there will be fewer victims, greater trust and confidence in the police and a stronger and more resilient network of services supporting victims to cope and recover from harm.
“My plan centres on three simple objectives – preventing crime and protecting people from harm; responding efficiently and effectively to community needs and supporting victims, survivors and communities.”
Mrs Henry says she visited each part of the county before putting her plan together and has cited the crime problems facing each one of them.
In Ashfield, residents wanted to see an “increase visible police presence,” and targeting the illegal use of e-scooters, motorcycle-related ASB and illegal encampments.
In Nottingham, the illegal and anti-social use of e-scooters, burglary prevention, building positive relationships between the police and minority ethnic communities and tackling hate crime, violence and illicit drug use in the night-time economy.
In Rushcliffe, speeding, reckless driving and noise nuisance, motorcycle related ASB, bicycle theft, and establishing a Community Speedwatch scheme in the area.
In Newark and Sherwood, concerns related to illegal encampments, the need for local custody facilities, speeding and the illegal and anti-social use of motorcycles and e-scooters.
In Gedling, key issues included the illegal and anti-social use of motorbikes, quad bikes and e-scooters, burglary prevention and police visibility.
In Mansfield, drug related crime, speeding, CCTV provision, police visibility, street drinking and anti-social behaviour.
In Broxtowe, drug dealing, youth-related anti-social behaviour, car crime, knife crime and speeding.
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Panel will scrutinise the plan on Monday, November 15. The plan is currently out for formal consultation with partner agencies during November and December before it is given approval.
