Corporate Plan 2004-2008 - Promoting Community Safety & Development

North Lanarkshire is a relatively safe place and serious assaults, robberies and housebreaking occur at a much lower rate than in other areas of Scotland. Our residents' survey showed people are more aware of how we are improving safety in neighbourhoods. Unfortunately, there are some neighbourhoods where crime and the fear of crime are still relatively high. Residents in those neighbourhoods are concerned about drug and alcohol-related crimes, domestic abuse and antisocial behaviour.

The challenge is to work together to tackle these issues and promote a positive image and identity for North Lanarkshire.

Our aims are as follows.

• To help people feel safer
• To improve safety for road users and pedestrians
• To improve the social environment
• To promote personal safety
• To develop communities and give them more of a voice

Our intended outcomes are as follows.

• For more people to feel safe walking in their neighbourhood after dark.
• To reduce the fear of crime felt by people aged 60 years or over.
• For more people to be satisfied with their area.
• For the number of deaths and serious injuries on the road to fall by 40% (in line with national targets) by 2010.
• For the number of children killed and seriously injured on the road to fall by 50% (in line with national targets) by 2010.

Aim 1 – To help people feel safer
Actions we will take

1. Install 20 more CCTV (closed-circuit television) cameras by 2006 and introduce a central monitoring unit by 2005.
2. Continue to support the Safer Homes project and install safety and security equipment in 2000 homes each year.
3. Reduce the time it takes to remove abandoned vehicles to seven days in 95% of reported cases.

Aim 2 – To improve safety for road users and pedestrians
Actions we will take

1. Extend the Safer Routes to School programme by adding one extra route a year.
2. Introduce a speed limit of 20 miles an hour in priority residential areas by 2006.
3. Improve roads, street lighting and footpaths by investing £9.5 million each year to 2008.

Aim 3 – To improve the social environment
Actions we will take

1. Extend the Anti Social Task Force, a team set up to tackle problems of antisocial behaviour, by introducing an extra investigation team by 2005.
2. Support victims and witnesses to antisocial behaviour by having two extra support workers by 2005.

Aim 4 – To promote personal safety
Actions we will take

1. Introduce the Domestic Abuse action plan by March 2005.
2. By 2008, increase places in women's refuges to 46.
3. Increase the safety of employees by introducing a Lone Working system.
4. Invest £50,000 in 2004 and 2006 to upgrade outdoor play areas, and develop new play facilities in Strathclyde Park by 2006 and in another public site by 2007.

Aim 5 – To develop communities to give them more of a voice
Actions we will take

1. Organise training on involving the community for all relevant agencies (including voluntary organisations) by December 2005, and continue with the voluntary sector strategy.
2. Work with the Community Planning and Community Learning and Development Partnerships to develop methods for involving communities by April 2006.
3. Progress a rural and small communities' improvement plan, to tackle the unique problems in villages, by the end of 2005.
4. Increase the number of tenants' and residents' groups by 10% by 2006.