New Mansfield safety plan to prioritise anti-social behaviour, neighbourhood crime and protecting the vulnerable

The Mansfield community safety partnership strategic plan for 2023-26 sets out crime cutting achievements in recent years and broadly what Mansfield Council and its community safety partners will target in the future.

The strategy can be read in full at mansfield.gov.uk/communitysafetystrategy

The overarching aim for the partnership is to continue to work to keep the district safe and secure by creating a clean and welcoming environment, along with vibrant, sustainable and resilient communities.

Figures in the strategy show crime increased in the district by 20.77 per cent in 2021-22, with 10,875 crimes recorded, compared with 2020-21, when 9,005 offences were recorded.

Victim-based crimes, violence against the person crimes, sexual offences and rapes all saw significant rises, while stalking and hate crimes both also rose, although together these crimes represented a small proportion of crimes as a whole.

However, there was positive news as well with falls in the number of recorded anti-social behaviour, burglaries, knife possession and thefts from vehicles.

Andy Abrahams, Mansfield mayor, said: “This is essentially about improving quality of life in this district by working closely with our partners and stakeholders to deliver measurable improvements in community safety.

“It is not just about tackling crime – delivering good community safety is multi-faceted.

"It is about ensuring good health and wellbeing, suitable housing, safe and strong neighbourhoods and positive economic and social regeneration and community cohesion.

“Together we need to tackle not only the obvious impact of offences, but also the underlying issues which drive crime and disorder within our communities, which we hope will lead to improved perceptions of the area and more confidence among people who live here.”

The new strategy has three priorities:

• Minimise the threat, harm and risk to vulnerable people and communities;
• Reducing re-offending and specifically targeting high areas of crime and ASB;
• Tackling neighbourhood crimes such as burglary, vehicle crime, robbery and rural crime.

In respect of protecting vulnerable people, this encompasses continuing work to reduce domestic abuse and supporting those affected by it, protecting children from being exploited or being drawn into crime and targeting violent extremism and hate crimes.

In terms of tackling ASB, the focus is on preventing young and vulnerable people from being drawn into criminal activity by offering intensive support, education, diversion, housing and employment opportunities, and by engaging proactively with those misusing both drugs and alcohol.

In reducing neighbourhood crimes, the approach will be to target areas most affected by such crimes with increased public visibility from all partners, while supporting vulnerable and repeat victims of such crimes.

The strategy also highlights some of the community safety successes of recent years, including the Safer Streets-funded scheme in Warsop and a successful mentoring and boxing tuition scheme for vulnerable young people, delivered by Switch Up.

Central to this project was the Kefira Girls Group which offers a safe space for young women to come together, engage in a variety of activities and to promote female empowerment and safety.

Another successful scheme has been to reduce arson and thefts on the Oak Tree Lane estate.