Community Safety Approach
The local area partnership has stretched resources and therefore has to consider how to prioritise actions. The strategy will therefore focus on the areas where the data shows:
- There is most demand on public services
- The most harm is caused
- Where outcomes need to be improved, because we compare unfavourably to our statistical neighbours
Wokingham Community Safety Partnership have 4 key priorities for 2018 to 2021 and they are:
- Addressing violence against women and girls (VAWG)
- Tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB), harmful misuse and organised crime
- Reduce and prevent exploitation and address the needs of vulnerable victims and offenders
- Empower and enable the resilience of local communities
Find out more about the priorities below.
Priority 1: Addressing Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG)
The Community Safety Partnership decided to make domestic abuse, particularly hidden domestic abuse, one of its key priorities in the 2016 Strategic Assessment. To deliver this priority the CSP agreed a Domestic Abuse Strategy in 2017. The strategy was due for review in 2020, but has been postponed in order to reflect changes which will result from the Domestic Abuse Bill 2021.
The Wokingham Domestic Abuse Strategy is designed to support children, adults and families within Wokingham Borough, by developing an understanding of the needs of both victims and perpetrators of domestic abuse.
The strategy is designed to enable Wokingham Council to meets its statutory duties for example the Care Act 2014 and the Children and Families Act 2014. The main role of the CSP is to hold the Domestic Abuse Strategic Group in delivering the current domestic abuse strategy.
Priority 2 - Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour, Harmful Misuse and Organised Crime
These three issues can often be interlinked and this priority is aimed at reducing all and to prevent members of our community from exploitation and their risk and involvement in Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) and/or harmful misuse escalating to serious organised crime.
Instances of anti-social behaviour have been of concern across the Borough during the start of 2018 and the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) and Thames Valley Police have been working together to address this.
This priority will aim to address the causes of ASB and the CSP Problem Solving Task Group will be tasked with managing geographical areas and individuals of concern on a multi-agency level.
Priority 3 - Reduce and prevent exploitation and address the needs of vulnerable victims and offenders
The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) recognised that vulnerability of both victims and offenders has an impact on demand for police and other emergency services.
Supporting victims, particularly repeat victims of crime will improve their resilience. Supporting vulnerable offenders will decrease their level of offending. This will have a positive impact on crime rates, but most importantly ensure people have access to services which will improve the quality of their lives.
Priority 4 - Empower and enable the resilience of local communities
The focus of this priority is the relationship with the wider Wokingham community. In addition to reducing crime, substance misuse and disorder, central government guidance states community safety strategies should work to reduce the fear of crime, improve community cohesion, build the relationship with the voluntary and community sector and support community engagement.
Read more about the priorities
Read the Community Safety Strategy 2018 to 2021 (PDF document)to see the priorities and their objectives in full.
We have delayed updating our Domestic Abuse Strategy and linked Action Plan until after the Domestic Abuse Bill 2021 has received Royal Assent, but will produce and consult on updates as soon after that date as possible.
