Newark and Sherwood achieves the greatest reduction in crime rates in Nottinghamshire

The report, prepared by Bassetlaw, Newark and Sherwood Community Safety Partnership (BNSCSP), detailed the key crimes where rates have decreased including burglary by 41%, robbery by 62% and theft down by 26%.  

The District Council has implemented a number of initiatives to combat crime including partnership working with local agencies as part of the Newark Safer Streets project.

The Safer Streets project was a partnership between the Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Nottinghamshire Police, Newark and Sherwood District Council and Nottinghamshire County Council to improve security in areas particularly affected by acquisitive crimes such as burglary, vehicle theft and robbery. It included a package of measures to deter crime and anti-social behaviour.

During the second phase of the Safer Streets project there has been multiple investments made to improve safety and security including:

• The installation of 68 upgraded street lights worth £25k
• 1,177 extra hours of police patrols to reassure residents
• Free security upgrades on 84 homes including new fencing, Passive Infrared (PIR) sensor lighting to detect motion, alarms and locks
• WIFI security cameras fitted at more than 46 houses including victims of burglary and their neighbours
• 42 free Global Positioning System (GPS) cycle trackers given to residents providing accurate, real time location information directly to a mobile phone
• Bike Register marking for 102 cycles
• 5 hours of environmental improvements undertaken including litter, graffiti and fly-tipping removal

Automatic number-plate recognition (ANPR) has been another significantly successful implementation through the Safer Streets project, with more than 27 million vehicle registration plates being read thanks to the increase of state-of-the-art cameras being installed. 749 registration matches resulted in immediate review and dispatch of police resources. An example of this success was in May 2021 when ANPR led to the arrest of three suspects after an Audi TT was stolen from Balderton.

The District Council’s Environmental Services Team have also been working hard to combat environmental crimes, and to make sure those responsible face the consequences for their actions. Since the start of the year the District Council’s environmental officers have successfully prosecuted two fly-tipping offenders in court, have issued more than 100 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN), and on average, removed 1.13 fly tips per day.

Recently the District Council performed community resolution work, in partnership with Nottinghamshire Police, working with a young juvenile after they defaced play equipment in a play park in Bilsthorpe. The work included cleaning graffiti from a skate ramp and various other play equipment, and a litter pick of the area. The resolution was arranged and attended by District Council staff after being approached by Bilsthorpe’s Police beat team after an initial investigation. Community resolution is an effective tool as it means the damage is rectified by the offenders, and it also gives local officers the opportunity to engage with them in a positive way.

Councillor David Lloyd, Leader of Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “Having our crime rates reduce is exactly what we and our residents want to see and is the result of the hard work that has been put into our community. Our priority is always to make sure our district remains a safe and welcoming place to live, work and visit, and seeing the huge impact that the investments put in place have made is really encouraging.

“Crimes such as burglary, robbery and theft are extremely distressing for the victims, and it is important that the investments we put in place are working to deter those who would consider committing such a crime, and work as a tool to aid the Police in identifying, tracking and arresting those who still think they can break the law.

“We all want a safer, cleaner, greener Newark and Sherwood, and this report shows we, alongside our local agency partners, are focused on these priorities.”

Inspector Matt Ward, District Commander for Newark and Sherwood, said: “It’s great to hear that crime rates across Newark and Sherwood have fallen and I hope this reassures residents across the area that our hard work and the work of our partners is having a good impact.

“This fall in crime comes after recent national statistics released at the end of April showed Nottinghamshire’s overall crime rate was significantly lower than the national average and many of its neighbouring forces. 

“The Safer Streets project has been incredibly beneficial in clamping down on crime and putting in more safety measures to help residents feel protected.

“Nottinghamshire Police is committed to continuing to work alongside Newark and Sherwood District Council and the Police and Crime Commissioner’s office to make sure people that live in the area as well as those visiting are all kept safe while out and about.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry said: "The Safer Streets project set out to do exactly what we have achieved in Newark: to bring down crime to make our streets safer. The reduction in crime overall, as well as specific crimes that are often hugely distressing to victims, is a direct result of all the hard work of our partners and my office to use the investment we secured from the Home Office effectively to make Newark safe."

Nottinghamshire County Council Cabinet Member for Communities, Councillor John Cottee, said: “Everyone wants to get crime down to the lowest levels possible, and I’m really pleased with our strides in Newark and Sherwood in reducing it.

“This criminal activity drop shows that our Safer Streets project is working and is key to keeping our residents safe and reducing robbery, burglary and theft.

“I’m proud of Nottinghamshire County Council's role in Safer Streets and our part in supporting crime-busting investment, including upgraded street lights.

“We’ll continue to work with our Safer Streets partners to keep criminals on the back foot in Newark and Sherwood.” 

The findings from the BNSCSP report are a result of the 2021/2022 crime rates being compared against the rates reported pre-COVID19, as the results found over the course of the pandemic are not a full indicator of crime levels due to various restrictions in place at the time.