New Name for Community Safety

 ‘safer lisburn’ is the new name for Lisburn City Community Safety Partnership (LCCSP).  It has been adopted at the start of a new three year strategy to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB) across the Lisburn City Council area.

 Based on the partnerships strapline, creating a safer place for all, the title will be supported by a new logo and corporate branding which will be launched during the summer.  LCCSP Chairman Cllr James Tinsley welcomed the new title and strategy and said that “it reflected a positive new phase in the history of the community safety partnership”.

 The 2008-11 ‘safer lisburn’ strategy follows NIO regional policy to reduce violent crime and anti-social behaviour and links closely with the aims of the new local policing plan. Also welcoming the new strategy, PSNI local area Commander, Chief Inspector David Moore said that ‘safer lisburn’ partnership work would compliment and support policing objectives within local communities and help build on the important work of neighbourhood officers’. Other local key organisations including the Council, NIHE, Probation Board and NIFRS have welcomed the opportunity to be part of the new strategy and help drive it forward.  

 Building upon a wide range of work, which has helped reduce incidents over the past three years, ‘safer lisburn’ aims to develop neighbourhood engagement, youth resource, communications and action group programmes to further address the causes and outcomes of anti-social behaviour and violent crime. 

Working with organisations linked to criminal justice, specialist agencies, youth and community groups etc, the partnership will be concentrating their efforts on priority and repeat offending issues across designated areas.

 Recognising the need to continue and advance best practice, ‘safer lisburn’ will form local neighbourhood action groups to link with ‘safer lisburn’ programs and solutions, in conjunction with local community representatives and relevant services. The groups will address local issues such as alcohol related incidents of anti-social behaviour, assaults and incidents of domestic violence, protection of the vulnerable and/or elderly and the engagement of at risk young people (incl. safe travel home) as well as support of parents through statutory and voluntary agencies.

Additionally, a communications (incl. information and media) programme will help coordinate awareness and training to local groups involved in the criminal justice network, promote support for local initiatives, address perpetrators on violent crime and ASB and seek to improve reporting of incidents to the PSNI, Council, NIHE and other relevant services.

During 2008 ‘safer lisburn’ will also be running ‘Summer Splash’, an NIO funded programme that will be implemented by organisations and groups across the five designated areas to help reduce crime and anti-social behaviour via. engagement and diversionary initiatives. These are designed to offer 13-16 year olds new skills and give something back to the community, through (e.g.) kindness outreach, car washing, community events and garden clean ups etc.

Safer Lisburn Manager, Laurence Kerr has expressed his gratitude to the many organisations, groups and individuals who have contributed to reduction of crime and anti-social behaviour through partnership work and personal efforts. Commenting on the challenges of developing and implementing the 2008-2011 Strategy, Mr Kerr was optimistic that “through true partnership, crime and anti-social behaviour can be contained and even reduced dramatically”.