Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping has welcomed new figures showing improved community engagement in Newark following a £550,000 safety project.

The PCC and partners including Nottinghamshire Police, Newark and Sherwood District Council and Nottinghamshire County Council have been working to deliver a package of improvements in the Chatham Court and Northgate areas of the town to reduce burglary, vehicle crime and theft and reduce the fear of crime.

Part of their mission has been to increase community resilience in the town and encourage more residents to sign up to the police messaging system Nottinghamshire Alert, so they can stay up-to-date with the latest crime prevention advice and other safety announcements.

Since the project launched in September 2020, Nottinghamshire Alert has seen an extra 2,690 sign-ups across the county, including many from Newark.

The force recently launched a new social media campaign featuring Chief Inspector Heather Sutton, District Commander for Newark and Sherwood, as part of a drive to generate more interest in Nottinghamshire Alert from within the Newark community.

Additionally, community engagement specialists have supported residents to reinvigorate Neighbourhood Watch groups in the area to strengthen relationships between local people and the police.

Paddy Tipping said: “This is a real boost for the Safer Streets team and shows the vast array of improvements underway in Newark is already making people more conscious about their own safety and the safety of their community as a whole.

“One of the key ambitions of this project was to bring people together as well as strengthening connections with the police and other key public services. Nottinghamshire Alert provides the perfect platform to achieve this, while also helping local people stay well-informed of any risks in their area.”

Chief Inspector Sutton added: “We want people to talk to us through any means possible so it’s great see this has been happening as result of our recent campaigns.”

Early in 2020, the PCC secured £550,000 from the Home Office’s Safer Streets Fund to increase safety in the Chatham Court and Northgate areas of the town.

The team asked residents what was needed to make their homes and communities safer and responded with an action plan consisting of new technology, additional resources, environmental improvements and new ways of working together.

In addition to the introduction of a dedicated Burglary Reduction Officer for the area, the project has funded free security upgrades such as new fencing, high-security doors and windows and even 4G solar-powered security cameras at burglary victims’ homes and neighbouring properties in the Chatham Court and Northgate areas.

Upgraded street lighting worth £150,000 has been installed across the area in addition to automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras which help police detect crime.

The project has also delivered 90 hours of extra police patrols per month, while eligible cyclists have received free GPS trackers to protect their property and free bike marking.

Environmental improvements have been carried out to remove graffiti and waste, clear undergrowth and weeds and improve the look of the area while progress is being made to transform a flat in Chatham Court into a new Community Hub.

To sign up to Nottinghamshire Alert visit: www.nottinghamshirealert.co.uk

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