New partnership launched to make communities safer in Cumberland

THE CUMBERLAND Community Safety Partnership (CSP) was officially launched on Friday (4 August) pledging to make communities safer.

The partnership aims to prevent and reduce crime and disorder by creating healthy and secure communities.

The CSP will set out a strategy to prevent crime, disorder, and reoffending, and tackle substance misuse, antisocial behaviour, and serious violence. The strategy will focus on key areas such as violence against women and girls, hate crime, antisocial behaviour, sexual abuse and exploitation, reoffending, and domestic abuse.

It will also look to create strong communities, safer roads and improve resident’s health and wellbeing.

The CSP board has set out its vision to create healthy, safe, and trusted communities by:

• Listening to communities and focusing on safety issues that are important to them.
• Learning how best to tackle crime and disorder by working with experts from the police, health, fire, and probation services.
• Preventing problems before they occur by educating, raising awareness, providing early help, empowering individuals, and promoting a culture of health, safety, and support.
• Improving communities by listening to its people, leading services, and evaluating the work it does to ensure it always strives to be better.

The CSP board comprises of six statutory partners:

• Cumberland Council
• Cumbria Constabulary
• Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service
• Probation Service
• North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board
• Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board

The board works with the voluntary and third sector including social housing providers, voluntary organisations, and community groups, such as: Cumbria Youth Alliance, Recovery Steps Cumbria, Castles & Coasts Housing Association, Home Group and Riverside. It is also supported by Cumbria Police, Fire, and Crime Commissioner.

Board members attended the Cumberland Health and Wellbeing Festival in Whitehaven to launch the partnership and speak to the community.

Colin Cox, Chair of the Cumberland Community Safety Partnership, said: 

“Tackling crime and antisocial behaviour is a key priority for many people in Cumberland.

“Making the area a safer and more pleasant place to live and work is not something that can be achieved by any one organisation – we all need to work together to achieve this, and we need to work closely with local communities.

“That’s the point of this new partnership – bringing together all the skills and powers of different organisations to help tackle issues that are important to the people of Cumberland.”