Essex County Council has been in touch to let Essex residents know they can voice their priorities to help police and local authorities tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in different communities.
The annual Community Safety Survey by Safer Essex, on behalf of the county’s 14 Community Safety Partnerships, asks a range of questions to help focus multi-agency efforts in addressing crime and community safety across Essex.
The deadline for responses to this year’s survey has been extended to 31 July 2024. It is also the first Community Safety Survey to ask Essex residents about road safety.
1,304 residents responded to the first survey in 2023. 83% identified burglary as a top concern, followed by 81% choosing theft of or from a vehicle and 77% saying fraud or scams.
Safer Essex will be working closely with the new Multi-Agency Approach to Fraud (MAAF) group set up by Essex police as a result.
The survey also found 58% of respondents had witnessed anti-social behaviour in this last 12 months. This was followed closely by 56% witnessing drug usage or evidence or drug taking.
61% of respondents said they could confidently identify signs of radicalisation in someone they know. However, just 47% said they were confident in knowing where to seek help.
The results were similar to 50% of respondents who said they could confidently spot signs of modern slavery, compared to 49% who felt unconfident about knowing where to report their concerns.
Safer Essex will therefore be launching awareness campaigns about how to spot signs and help protect people from radicalisation and modern slavery.
Councillor Louise McKinlay, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Levelling Up, Communities and Business Engagement at Essex County Council, said: “We received incredibly valuable insight into people’s views on crime and community safety across Essex as a result of last year’s survey.
“We want to hear from as many residents as possible so effective solutions can be developed by local authorities in different parts of Essex.
“The Community Safety Survey covers all types of crime including burglary, fraud, modern slavery, fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour. I urge Essex residents to complete this year’s survey to help police and local authorities focus their efforts on what matters most to you.”
Phillipa Brent-Isherwood, Chair of Safer Essex, said: “Together we have built a strong, successful working partnership approach to community safety across the whole of greater Essex.
“All Safer Essex partners, from Essex Police and Essex County Fire and Rescue Service to councils, health authorities and community groups, have contributed to creating a safe county for residents, families and businesses.
“To maintain our successful approach and plan for the future, we need to hear the views of our biggest, most valuable partner: the people who live and work in Essex. As we have seen from last year’s survey, the results drive real action within and across the partnership, so people’s views can make a tangible difference to how we work together to keep Essex a great place in which to live, work and play for many years to come.”
Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, said: “Safe, secure communities are the bedrock on which we build prosperity and wellbeing for everyone.
“Working together with our Safer Essex partners, we have invested in patrols and action around identified anti-social behaviour hotspots and improved town and city neighbourhoods through our Safer Streets interventions, with both these innovative actions supported by our strong Community Safety Partnerships.
“All this partnership work has contributed to a decrease in crime of 6.5% year-on-year to the end of March, with anti-social behaviour incidents dropping by 26.8% in the same period. Our plan is working.
“By completing this Safer Essex survey, residents can tell us their concerns around crime and community safety, helping inform how we plan and allocate resources for further effective interventions.”
Residents can take part in this year’s Community Safety Survey until 31 July 2024 at https://consultations.essex.gov.uk/equalities-and-partnership/community_safety_survey_2024
