Reducing the Fear of Crime

One of the crimes which has reduced the most in Stevenage is violent crime, and yet when we asked you what worried you the most, violent crime was at the top of the list.

How people perceive crime is mainly due to how it is publicised. When we see reports on the television of serious crime we tend to think it is a problem everywhere, including where we live, rather than the isolated case it probably is.

Hertfordshire is one of the safest places to live in the entire country. Crime in Stevenage is falling and has been for many months. This is especially true of violent crime, which includes assaults and serious violent crime which encompasses woundings, murders and attempted murders.

Of course, the figures fluctuate, but the overall trend has been good for many months and remains that way.

The same applies to another issue which concerns you, alcohol related crime.

Again this has fallen and fallen sharply. Alcohol related crime often hits a peak over Christmas and New Year, and yet last Christmas was one of the quietest we have ever had. Considering Stevenage is host to one of the premier entertainment venues in the region, the Leisure Park, which attracts over 2.500,000 people every year, our level of alcohol related crime remains a priority with the Police and the stakeholders on the park, and together they ensure it remains low.

We also know that anti social behaviour is a great concern to you as it can ruin your quality of life. Again the level of ASB in Stevenage is dropping steadily and the work of the ASB team is now paying dividends. This team is made up of Stevenage Homes, the Police and the Borough Council and tackles all reports of ASB, using mediation, anti social behaviour contracts and where necessary anti social behaviour orders (ASBO’s) imposed by the Courts to bring the problems to a close.

We also use other means to control this problem. Ensuring that alcohol supply is strictly monitored to reduce the level of under age drinking and is a highly successful initiative to reduce nuisance youths. This is supported by Hertfordshire Trading Standards who regularly operate test purchasing campaigns in Stevenage.

Last Hallowe’een and Bonfire night we reduced nuisance calls to an all time low by asking retailers not to sell flour and eggs to young children and ensuring the responsible sale of fireworks. Together with an increased Police patrol presence the usual level of nuisance was greatly reduced.

If you have a concern regarding crime in Stevenage, we want to hear about it. In the community engagement section you will find details of how to make your opinion heard and how to make it count. We also ask that if you receive a customer satisfaction survey or questionnaire you fill it in and return it to us so we know what you think about the questions we ask.

Remember, Stevenage is a safe place to live, work and socialise,