Darlington Community Safety Partnership Plan
2021-2026

[Text-only version]

Contact us
If you would like more information about Darlington Community Safety Partnership, please contact:
By post 
Darlington Community Safety Team 
Central House Annexe 
Gladstone Street 
Darlington 
DL3 6JX
By email
cspenquiries@darlington.gov.uk
By telephone
01325 406786
Website
This is a link to the Community Safety Partnership web page www.darlington.gov.uk/your-council/policing/community-safety-partnership 
A plan for all 
If English is not your first language and you would like more information about this document, or if you require information in an alternative format, please contact the Community Resilience Officer. 
Telephone: 01325 406786 Email: cspenquiries@darlington.gov.uk

Contents
Foreword
Plan on a Page – Darlington Community Safety Partnership 2021-2026
Darlington on a Page
Darlington Community Safety Partnership
Partnership Plan
Darlington Council Plan 2020-2023
The Role of the Police and Crime Commissioner
Achievements 2015-2020
Reducing Offending
Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour
Working with Families
Supporting Vulnerable People - including domestic abuse, hate crime and sexual violence                                                                                                               
Reducing harmful effects of drugs, alcohol and tobacco
Our Priorities 2021-2026
Governance
Partnership Priorities
Priority 1: Protect and Support Vulnerable People
Priority 2: Promoting Safer Places
Priority 3: Violent Crime including tackling Domestic Abuse
Priority 4: Building Strong and Cohesive Communities
Delivering the Plan
Delivery Structure
Appendix 1: Work Action Plan

Foreword
Welcome to our Community Safety Plan for 2021-2026 which has been produced during a period of considerable change and uncertainty due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Adrian Green, Chief Superintendent and Chair of Darlington Community Safety Partnership.
Despite such challenging times, Darlington Safety Partnership remains committed to providing an environment where people can go about their everyday lives, day and night, confident in the knowledge that this is a place where people treat each other fairly and with respect, and they are safe from harm or the effects of crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour. 
The plan has been developed following a period of consultation and reflects the broader vision and priorities for the borough and the direction of local agencies who work together within our Community Safety Partnership. The plan highlights some of the many achievements of the Partnership and provides a flavour of the wide range of activities designed and delivered to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in the town. 
Tackling crime and disorder with competing demands, limited resources and delivering a comprehensive plan at a time of great uncertainty is a challenge but one we accept with enthusiasm. Current figures show that Darlington is a safe place to live, with falling rates of crime, so there is much cause for optimism. However, as a partnership, we know that we still have work to do to build upon our success and focus on a range of new challenges and activities.
“…current figures show that Darlington is a relatively safe place to live, with falling rates of crime, so there is much cause for optimism.”
The plan sets out our aims and objectives for the medium to long-term highlighting the key issues and what we intend to do to ensure that Darlington becomes an even safer place to visit, work and live. 
The aim is to provide the early identification and support to those at risk, create a safe, secure and attractive town, tackle the hidden harms within the home and continue to build a community which is more inclusive and safe for everyone. 
The plan is ambitious, but I remain confident based on past performance that we will continue to develop our partnerships, foster our collective talents and, with your support, deliver the aims and objectives set out in the plan.
To achieve our vision for Darlington we have identified four key priorities: 
1.) Protecting and supporting people 
2.) Promoting safer places 
3.) Tackling violent crime, including domestic abuse 
4.) Building strong and cohesive communities
Plan on a Page – Darlington Community Safety Partnership 2021-2026
Vison: Darlington Community Safety Partnership is committed to providing a place where people treat each other fairly and with respect, and they are safe from harm or the effects of crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour.
Watch a video introduction here: 
1.	Outcomes 
(a)	Support to those most at risk
(b)	Safe, secure and vibrant town 
(c)	Safer home
(d)	Stronger community

2.	Priorities
(a)	Protect and support vulnerable people
(b)	Promote safer places
(c)	Tackle violent crime including domestic abuse
(d)	Building Strong and Cohesive Communities

3.	Key Themes
(a)	Supporting Victims Begging & Homelessness; Substance Misuse; Mental Health; Reducing Offending
(b)	Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB); Environmental Crime; Town Centre; Drug and Alcohol Misuse
(c)	Domestic Violence; Sexual Violence; Reduce Night-Time Economy (NTE) related Violence, Harassment and Increase Reassurance; 
 Increase Reassurance in Public Spaces
(d)	Community Engagement; Hate Crime; Contest / Prevent (Counter-Terrorism)

4.	Deliverables
(a)	Eliminate conditions that give rise to vulnerability; Empower those at risk through Family Intervention and Victim Support;  Re-establish Vulnerable Persons Alert Protocol; Early identification of vulnerable people; Clear reporting pathways for vulnerable people; Robust response to vulnerability;  Effective multi-agency response to hoarding; Supporting accessible mental health services.
(b)	Target ASB and crime in town centre; Support victims of ASB and assist perpetrators in changing behaviours; Increase awarenes and interventions to reduce fires;  New approach to tackle environmental crime, with a focus on fly tipping; Review of CCTV and additional mobile technology to assist in the detection of ASB and environmental crime; Elements of Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy; Mobilise STRIDE (Support, Treatment, Recovery through Empowerment) the new integrated recovery service.
(c)	Establish ‘Darlington 4Kids’, to tackle domestic violence where children are present. This team will tackle perpetrators, support victims, navigate contributory pathways and help to support the children for the future; Support the ‘Purple Flag’ approach to the local NTE; Support licensees in reducing the availability of drugs within the NTE.
(d)	Work with communities to raise awareness and encourage reporting of Hate Crime; Map groups and organisations which support speciﬁc communities, develop eﬀective networks and  deliver a strategy and action plan to improve community cohesion; Deliver the County Durham and Darlington Contest Strategy; Through Channel, challenge the ideology of extremism and provide support to those vulnerable to radicalisation; Protect crowded places from attack; Introduce systems and training to encourage professionals and members of the public to report suspicious activity.

Darlington on a Page
Darlington is a large market town in the North East of England, surrounded by a rural area consisting of 26 civil parishes. The town lies on the River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees and owes its development to the influence of local Quaker families in the Georgian and Victorian era, who provided much of the finance and vision in creating the Stockton and Darlington Railway: the world’s first modern passenger railway. 
View Darlington’s Index of Multiple Deprivation 2019 online: shorturl.at/nxGJS
•	25% of people in Darlington have no qualifications compared with 22% across England. 
•	40% of 16-74 year olds are in full-time employment compared to 39% across England. Nearly half of Darlington’s jobs are in the Health & Social Care and Retail sectors. 
•	In 2019 Darlington residents took home on average a weekly wage of £414.00
•	1.5% of Darlington residents do not have English as their first language. This is compared to the average in England of 4.4%.
•	48.7 per cent recorded as male
•	51.3 per cent recorded as female
•	Population 107,000 
•	Graph 1-Crime over time: there has been a decrease in reports of crime over the past three years. Crime has decreased 17% in the year 2020-21.
•	Graph 2-Ethnicity: 93.7% of Darlington’s population is white British. The England average is 79.8%.
•	Graph 3- Religion: 72% of Darlington’s population have Christian beliefs. The England average is 59.4%.
•	Graph 4-Age: 60% of the population of Darlington are of working age (16 to 64 years old), this is compared to the England average of 62.4%.

Darlington Community Safety Partnership
The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 placed a legal responsibility on Local Authorities and the Police to convene a Community Safety Partnership to tackle crime, disorder, anti-social behaviour, substance misuse and other forms of behaviour which have an adverse impact on our communities.
Darlington Community Safety Partnership (CSP) includes 6 responsible authorities:
1.	Darlington Borough Council
2.	Durham Constabulary
3.	NHS Tees Valley Clinical Commissioning Group
4.	County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service
5.	Durham Tees Valley Community Rehabilitation Company
6.	National Probation Service
These agencies all have a statutory duty to work together to tackle crime and disorder, however, we also work with a large number of public and private sector partners as well as voluntary and community groups to collectively implement and deliver initiatives that will help Darlington become a safe place to live, work and visit.
Additional members include:
1.	Office of the Durham Police and Crime Commissioner
2.	Voluntary and community sector

Partnership Plan 
“Darlington is a place where people want to live and businesses want to locate, where the economy continues to grow, where people are happy and proud of the borough and where everyone has the opportunity to maximise their potential.”
A key requirement of the Partnership is the production of a Community Safety Plan which sets out key crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour risks and threats to our local communities and priorities moving forward. 
The Plan covers the period 2021-2026 (reviewed annually) and has been developed following a period of consultation. 
The Plan will help develop and organise our activities and projects to meet the needs of the public. It is about providing an intelligence-led approach to community safety, ensuring that we get the right resources in the right places at the right time, to sustain reductions in crime and disorder.
Darlington Council Plan 2020-2023 
The Community Safety Plan aligns closely with Darlington Borough Council’s “Delivering Success for Darlington” Council Plan 2020-2023 which sets out the vision, priorities and direction for a wide range of activities, including Community Safety.
See Darlington Borough Council’s ‘Delivering Success for Darlington’ Council Plan 2020-2023 here: https://www.darlington.gov.uk/your-council/council-plan 
Vision 
Economic growth is the key lever to deliver the long-term vision for the borough, and therefore growing Darlington’s economy is the top priority.  
This will be achieved by delivering:
1.	More sustainable jobs
2.	More businesses
3.	More homes
And this will support economic growth by keeping the borough:
1.	Clean
2.	Safe
3.	Healthy
4.	Sustainable
5.	Well-planned
6.	On the move – whilst – 
7.	Valuing our heritage and culture    
Other priorities include: maximising the potential of our young people, supporting the most vulnerable and working with local communities
The Role of the Police and Crime Commissioner
Joy Allen, Police and Crime Commissioner for County Durham and Darlington is responsible for overseeing the work of Durham Constabulary, holding the Chief Constable to account and helping to tackle crime issues in County Durham and Darlington with the Police, Crime and Victims’ Plan.
The Police and Crime Commissioner is also responsible for commissioning services that support victims, improve community safety, tackle drug use and crime, and reduce re-offending.
View the Police and Crime Plan here: https://www.durham-pcc.gov.uk/pcvc-plan/our-plan 
Partnership Achievements 2015 - 2020 
As part of moving forward and developing a new Community Safety Plan, the Partnership has also taken the opportunity to reflect on our success which has laid the foundation for a series of initiatives, some of which will continue to be developed over the next few years. 
The following highlights some of our achievements.

Achievements 2015-2020
Reducing Offending
We have:
•	Engaged fully with the Ministry of Justice strategy, 
•	‘Transforming Rehabilitation’, to reduce re-offending rates. 
•	Introduced ‘Checkpoint’, a multi-agency project designed to signpost and support individuals and divert them away from offending. 
•	Delivered ‘Project Beta’, a partnership between the Local Authority Housing Department, Prisons and the Probation Service, to work intensively with high-risk offenders leaving custody so that they move into accommodation upon release. 
•	Piloted ‘Beyond’, a trauma informed programme delivered to female victims and perpetrators of violence (County Durham and Darlington only). 
•	Introduced ‘Citizenship Cards’ to offenders to confirm their identity, improve access to services and reduce the risk of re-offending. 
•	Prevented criminal activity and reduced the numbers entering the criminal justice system for the first time by offering appropriate and proportionate diversionary activity to young people. 
•	Implemented an Early Help Service, as part of a commitment to get upstream of offending.
•	Repaired the social harm caused by crime and sought positive ways forward for both victim and perpetrator by bringing victims of crime and offenders together through the Restorative Hub. (This innovative initiative has received a quality kitemark.) 
•	Developed restorative interventions for young people, including opportunities to gain qualifications. 
•	Achieved a rating of OUTSTANDING following an inspection of Darlington’s Young Peoples’ Engagement and Justice Service in September 2020. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons commented, “Of note is the impressive range of partnerships and services available to support the work of the YOS”.

Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour 
We have:
•	Introduced an accredited Civic Enforcement Service to tackle problems of anti-social behaviour, environmental crime, dog ownership and control, parking and traffic-related complaints. The Civic Enforcement Service received a ‘Paw Prints’ Gold Award for its positive contribution to the control and welfare of animals.
•	Introduced a Public Spaces Protection Order to address problems of begging, nuisance, and alcohol-related offending in Darlington Town Centre.
•	Sponsored a Multi-Agency Problem Solving Group to target and address repetitive anti-social behaviour.
•	Supported Community Peer Mentors, who help vulnerable people susceptible to anti-social behaviour and reduce demand on local services.
•	Introduced deployable mobile cameras which has reduced levels of crime and assisted investigative procedures. 
•	Ensured the safety of car parks in Darlington Town Centre, achieving the ‘Park Mark’ award for this.

Working with Families 
We have:
•	Introduced the ‘Think Family’ approach to identify the broader issues within a family and provide a coordinated approach where a young person comes to the attention of the Police. 
•	Supported the Troubled Families Programme (2015-2020), recognising that difficulties within families often precedes involvement in crime. The programme has supported 712 families to address their issues with 77% achieving sustained and positive progress against all outcome targets. 72 families were able to secure continuous employment (sustained for more than 3 months) as a result of the intervention, and 37 families (5%) demonstrated a significant and sustained (at least 6 months) reduction in involvement in crime and / anti-social behaviour. 192 families (27%) were able to demonstrate a significant and sustained (at least 6 months) reduction in domestic violence incidents.

Supporting Vulnerable People - including domestic abuse, hate crime and sexual violence 
We have:
•	Implemented a strategy to tackle begging, reducing both the number of beggars in the Town Centre and the intimidation (or the fear of intimidation) caused to members of the public. 
•	Delivered 1,950 Fire Safety Inspections to help local businesses meet their statutory responsibility and keep employees and the public safe from the risk of fire. 
•	Delivered over 14,000 Home Fire Safety visits, targeted at the most vulnerable members of the community. In 80% of visits a high risk of fire was identified, and in 600 cases a referral was made to a partner agency for greater support. 
•	Responded to dwelling fires below the 8-minute target time on over 90% of occasions. 
•	Supported emergency service integration, when in 2016-17 Fire and Rescue crews attended over 1,800 medical incidents as part of a national trial to maximise resources. 
•	Collaborated to virtually eliminate rough sleeping in Darlington and to maintain facilities for anyone who is found rough sleeping to access 24/7. 
•	Responded proactively to Vulnerable Person Alerts that fall below the Safeguarding threshold, intervening early in crisis situations, improving individuals’ lives and by pre-emptive action saving over £750K (per annum) in Police and Criminal Justice costs.
•	Supported over 350 chaotic individuals within hostel accommodation to achieve independence. 
•	Introduced the Tension Monitoring Toolkit in Darlington Borough Council in February 2020, which is accessible on the staff intranet. There is also a dedicated email address to send tension monitoring forms, concerns or queries to. Tension Monitoring is now a standing item on the agenda of the Multi-Agency Problem Solving Group, so all agencies have oversight of any arising issues. 
•	Represented Darlington Borough Council on the Crown Prosecution Service (North East) Hate Crime Scrutiny Group. The group meets quarterly to review cases where hate crime was a factor and then makes recommendations to the Crown Prosecution Service for improvements to the system, which are also fed into the Police and Judiciary System. 
•	Reassured the public by circulating information (published by the Crown Prosecution Service) to community groups in relation to all sentences that receive an uplift due to hate being a factor. 
•	Incorporated perpetrators of domestic violence within the Integrated Offender Management Unit: multi-agency teams who form a support network around the most demanding offenders with complex needs, to divert them away from re-offending.
•	Addressed domestic violence within the ‘Checkpoint’ project to support and safeguard the victim, whilst working with the offender to address the root cause of offending.

Reducing harmful effects of drugs, alcohol and tobacco 
We have:
•	Responded effectively to County Lines incidents in Darlington resulting in arrest, charge, closure of lines, and keeping the public safe. 
•	Re-procured and re-focussed the substance misuse service with a twin emphasis on recovery and community. 
•	Increased the numbers of adults in alcohol treatment through education. 
•	Introduced a ‘best practice’ family-focussed approach to substance misuse among young people, bringing SWITCH young people’s services in-house.
•	Achieved the coveted ‘Purple Flag’ status in recognition of a safe, attractive and diverse offer in the evening and night-time economy. 
•	Reduced year on year hospital admissions for alcohol-specific conditions. 
•	Educated and informed young people about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. The annual Healthy Lifestyle Survey continues to show young people’s low reported use of substances and negative attitudes towards those who use them.
•	Launched a Responsible Authorities Group focussing on alcohol related harms in Darlington. 
•	Reduced offending by supporting individuals through their alcohol and drug misuse recovery in the community.
•	Accredited Trading Standards to undertake financial investigation around illicit sale of tobacco.

Our Priorities 2021-2026

How have we identified our priorities? 
The Partnership has a statutory duty to produce a Strategic Assessment to measure our performance against our Community Safety Partnership objectives. The assessment collates information and data from a broad range of sources that enables the Partnership to consider the current position and any changing circumstances or emerging issues that could necessitate different approaches or interventions.
Other factors which have been taken into account during the development of the new Community Safety Plan 2021-2026 include a detailed analysis of:
•	Volume of offences
•	Level of harm on victims and communities
•	Community concerns
•	Partnership strengths
•	Trend analysis
In addition, the Partnership has considered existing and emerging national priorities and legal obligations faced by members of the Community Safety Partnership.
Public Opinion 
The need for public consultation at all levels is recognised as crucially important in achieving long-term change and improving community safety. Whilst statistics can provide a good foundation in identifying priorities, relying on them alone may result in issues that are key concerns in local neighbourhoods being missed. 
A public opinion survey was conducted in Darlington in 2018 which was made available on Darlington Borough Council’s websites and social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
People who either live or work in Darlington were invited to complete the survey which asked them to identify their priority areas for the next four years. Creating a safer and more socially cohesive community recorded the highest percentage (67%) and when asked to prioritise five themes in order of importance, community safety was the top priority.

Governance
The Partnership has been structured to ensure that priorities can be effectively delivered and that performance and progress is regularly monitored through appropriate checks.
•	As well as a joint overarching strategic group that brings together statutory agencies at the most senior level, the Partnership has a number of operational groups that deliver projects on the ground.
•	Some of these groups are locally based whilst others are chaired by the Police, Crime and Victims’ Commissioner and attended jointly with members of Durham County Council.
•	The work of Darlington Community Safety Partnership is also supported by the Darlington Multi-Agency Problem Solving Group (MAPS) who meet on a regular basis to prioritise crime and disorder threat and risk in our communities and take collective action to tackle and resolve.
•	The position of Chair of the Partnership is currently held by a senior police officer responsible for Durham Constabulary Safeguarding and Neighbourhoods command. The Chair and other senior representatives of the CSP provide strategic links to other partnership boards.

Partnership Priorities
Priority 1: Protect and Support Vulnerable People
Lead: Dr John Elliston, 700 Club (Voluntary & Community Sector)
Vulnerability within this strategy arises where the safety of a community member either has been, or is susceptible to being, compromised. Vulnerability does not wholly define the person, but is a manifest characteristic that is contingent upon circumstance and is always context specific. From a strategic point of view and contrary to tendency of typecast, it is important to emphasise that vulnerability is not a necessary condition that attaches to any particular group (old, young, rich, poor, homeless, drug dependent, etc.) but is always a contingent one. Vulnerability is not, therefore, a permanent condition; it can be challenged, answered and negated. For the purpose of resource management, only vulnerability as a community safety issue will be addressed.
Includes 
The Partnership’s aim within Priority One has three inter-related components; they are:
•	To eliminate the conditions that give rise to vulnerability.
•	To empower those who are at risk of becoming vulnerable.
•	To support those who have become vulnerable because their safety has been compromised.
Key Issues
•	Ensuring that vulnerable or at risk individuals are identified as far ‘up-stream’ as possible. Re-establish Vulnerable Persons Alert protocol, which is but one indicator to identify high impact families.
•	Understanding how individuals become victims “Why this person and not that?” How do perpetrators identify their victims? We will listen to the voice of the perpetrator to gain insight into how victims are identified.
•	Data sharing and intelligence-led intervention to achieve more with less.

Our Focus
The aim of creating a safe environment for Darlington’s 107,000 residents depends upon strong partnership working across the sectors represented within the Community Safety Partnership and a collective commitment to resource both prevention and response in relation to vulnerability. We will embed community safety by: refining our understanding of ‘community safety’ as a multi-dimensional concept that demands multi-agency engagement if it is to be realised. We will seek to bring the experience of “feeling safe” to all.
What we will do (first 12 months) 
To tackle vulnerability and the causes of vulnerability we will:
•	Fulfil the Priorities 2, 3 and 4 within the plan.
•	Promote and celebrate success to challenge unfounded perceptions of vulnerability.
•	Move public and professional thought away from the lazy generalisation that identifies whole groups as vulnerable per se (young, old), and target it towards identifying the particular points of risk and threat.
•	Where possible, to remove the threats to safety (one can’t fall under a bus in a pedestrian zone).
•	Encourage in early years (schools) an ethos of collective responsibility for safety (e.g. mini-Police).
•	Provide a clear reporting pathway where an individual risk is identified - ensure that the Vulnerable Persons Alert protocol is known to all agencies and also to the public.
To empower we will:
•	Offer a robust system of response to reports of vulnerability (Early Intervention/Trailblazer).
•	Use the media to educate and engage the public, challenging the myths (i.e. that Darlington is unsafe to visit at night - Purple Flag).
•	Support initiatives that empower those at risk (Family Intervention Team, Victim Support).
•	Develop a strategy for a multi-agency response to hoarding.

To support we will:
•	Ensure that existing support providers do not work in siloes, but are recognised and receive credit for the impact they have on community safety.
•	Ensure that support pathways exist to address every vulnerable person who becomes a victim as a result of their vulnerability.
•	Free up access to mental health services for those in crisis -develop an accessible “crisis” team.
What we aim to achieve (duration of strategy)
•	To be able to identify upstream, and therefore counter, threats to public safety.
•	To sharpen definition and therefore target resources more effectively (not every person who suffers a crime becomes a victim to it).
•	To intervene early where a vulnerability is exposed.
•	To develop clear and inclusive support pathways for victims.
Measuring success
•	Monitor the public perception of community safety 
•	Monitor the number of individuals exiting homelessness support services who are living independently after 3, 6 and 12 months 
•	Monitor the number of individuals exiting mental health support services who are living without further intervention after 3, 6 and 12 months 
•	Monitor reductions in offending and re-offending 
•	Monitor reduced numbers of people who access victim services 
•	Monitor reduced numbers of beggars and rough sleepers

Partnership Priorities
Priority 2: Promoting Safer Places
Lead: Ian Thompson, Darlington Borough Council
Includes:
•	Anti-Social Behaviour
•	Environmental Crime
•	Town Centre
•	Drugs and Alcohol Misuse
Key Issues
Preventing and tackling persistent anti-social behaviour is frequently identified as a key priority by local communities because of the impact it has on quality of life within neighbourhoods. Within the Town Centre, anti-social behaviour also has the ability to negatively impact on local businesses and is particularly damaging to public perception of the local area. Tackling anti-social behaviour can be resource-intensive and benefits from multi-agency working, particularly where there are complex issues, including drugs and alcohol misuse.

Our Focus
•	Our focus is to continue to reduce anti-social behaviour incidents by taking a holistic approach, particularly to persistent offenders and locations, in all cases looking at any underlying issues which need to be addressed to support the development and delivery of the Town Centre Strategy and working in partnership to promote the town as a safe place.

•	We will renew our approach to tackling environmental crime, with a particular focus on fly tipping through partnership working in problem areas to reduce the number of deliberate secondary fires.

•	We will also implement elements of a multi-agency Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy to set out a town-wide response to tackle prevention, control and treatment of alcohol related harm. This will take into account problems arising from substance misuse.

•	Environmental crime in all its forms, fly tipping, graffiti, litter, dog fouling, abandoned vehicles, is often seen as a key manifestation of anti-social behaviour and potentially a factor in crime, fear of crime, and frequently linked to deliberate secondary fire setting. 

•	Environmental crime has an adverse effect on the quality of life of local residents and can also impact on the economy and tourism making areas less attractive to potential investors and visitors. Darlington Borough Council, working with partners, needs to focus on environmental crime, taking appropriate action bringing perpetrators to account.

•	Although the Partnership has seen a decrease in recorded levels of anti-social behaviour in year ending 31 March 2020, it is clear from public consultation that anti-social behaviour still remains the primary community safety concern for local people. The Partnership therefore needs to continue to work towards reducing the problems associated with persistent perpetrators of anti-social behaviour and problem locations.

•	Substance misuse is linked to a variety of community safety issues from the illegal use and supply of drugs, the committing of crime to fund drug or alcohol dependency through to behaviour seen on our streets by those under the influence. The impact of substance misuse on community safety can be complex, given that it affects individuals and wider society. Ill-health can have a devastating impact on families and the social costs of treating drug and alcohol related conditions runs into billions ever year. That is why alcohol harms are not solely a matter of individual choice, but an issue for society more widely.

•	As the new Town Centre Strategy starts to be delivered, significant remodeling and changes will take place. More residential development, therefore more people living in the Town Centre; developing the night-time economy, improving the appearance and attractiveness of the Town Centre, as well as the contracting retail sector. The Partnership needs to play a key role in supporting the delivery of the Town Centre Strategy, ensuring the town is a safe place to live, visit and enjoy.

“As the new Town Centre Strategy starts to be delivered, significant remodeling and changes will take place.”

What we will do (first 12 months)
•	In partnership, provide a focus for the Town Centre, targeting anti-social behaviour and crime.
•	Working in partnership to support the victims of anti-social behaviour and assist perpetrators in changing their behaviour.
•	Awareness raising and interventions to reduce secondary fires.
•	Roll out the Back Lanes Project across the borough to tackle problem areas.
•	Working in partnership to develop a new approach to tackling environmental crime, with a particular focus on fly tipping.
•	Review existing CCTV provision and introduce additional mobile CCTV cameras to assist in the detection of anti-social behaviour and environmental crime.
•	Implement elements of the Darlington Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy.
•	Mobilise STRIDE (Support, Treatment, Recovery in Darlington through Empowerment) the new integrated recovery focussed Service.
What we aim to achieve (duration of strategy)
•	Reduction in anti-social behaviour incidents recorded across the borough.
•	Reduction in anti-social behaviour/crime incidents recorded in the Town Centre.
•	Reduction in environmental crime, particularly fly tipping.
•	Increase in interventions/action taken against perpetrators of anti-social behaviour and environmental crime.
•	Reduction in deliberate secondary fires.
•	Reduction in the harms from alcohol and substance misuse.
•	Reduction in drug-related litter.

Measuring Success

•	Number of reported anti-social behaviour incidents.
•	Percentage requiring further investigation. 
•	Percentage resolved successfully. 
•	Number of repeat victims, locations and perpetrators of anti-social behaviour. 
•	Number of fly tips (large and small). 
•	Number of Fixed Penalty Notices for littering. 
•	Number of Fixed Penalty Notices for dog fouling. 
•	Number of reports - Land and Audit Management System.
•	Number of other environmental associated Fixed Penalty Notices.
•	Number of deliberate secondary fires.
•	Number in treatment for alcohol / substance misuse.
•	Accident & Emergency attendances for alcohol poisoning.
•	Accident & Emergency attendances for overdose.
•	Number of community needle finds.

Partnership Priorities
Priority 3: Violent Crime including tackling Domestic Abuse 
Lead: Adrian Green, Durham Constabulary 
Issues:
•	Domestic violence especially repeat incidents with children involved.
•	Sexual violence
•	Night-time economy related violence
Key Issues:
•	Violent crime is a significant service cost to the police and key partners. It impacts on the prosperity of the local economy, the reputation of the town and the ability for people to thrive. The damage caused by violence within the home has a generational impact and severely damages the prospects of those children who experience and witness it.
•	Domestic violence, whilst having seen a small decrease, this year is forecast to rise with an anticipated increase of 14% overall and 48% where criminality is involved over the next 4 years. The key contributor is alcohol, featuring in 37% of cases. As a police area, County Durham and Darlington are ranked 26th out of 43 for the number of domestic violence incidents, however, in our most similar area comparison, we are the highest.  
•	During the COVID-19 lockdown, despite the availability of alcohol in the home, reported domestic violence reduced significantly. Since the opening of on-licensed premises, the domestic violence reports together with assaults have steadily increased back to previous levels, demonstrating a clear connection to alcohol related environmental factors and domestic incidents and violence.
•	Violence has many forms, however, there are a number of specific related issues that drive a large proportion of the violence incidents. The Community Safety Partnership Plan seeks to address these ‘big ticket items’ specifically, accepting that work will continue to address the specific issues of individual cases.

Our Focus

•	Reduce the number of violent incidents within the night-time economy.
•	Reduce the number of repeat domestic incidents where children aged 6,7 and 8 are present.
•	Reduce the number of violence with injury domestic violence crimes.
•	Reduce the availability of controlled drugs within the town centre night-time economy.
What we will do (first 12 months)
•	Establish a dedicated team under the banner ‘Darlington 4Kids’, to tackle domestic violence where children are present. This team will tackle perpetrators, support victims, navigate contributory pathways and help to support the children for the future.
•	Support the ‘Purple Flag’ approach to the local night-time economy.
•	Enforce and support licensees in providing a safe and supervised licensed environment in partnership.
•	Support the licensees in reducing the availability of drugs within the night-time economy through engagement, enforcement, patrol and the use of passive drug dogs.
What we aim to achieve (duration of strategy)
•	Identification of appropriate domestic violence harmers and associated children to place on the Darlington 4Kids Project.
•	Reduction in repeat domestic incidents within this cohort.
•	Reduction in repeat domestic violence crime overall.
•	Reduction in alcohol related violence with injury across the town.
•	The number of repeat domestic violence incidents where children are present.
•	The number of ‘Operation Encompass’ referrals.
•	The number of medium risk assessed domestic violence vulnerabilities.
•	Number of children in the 4Kids cohort.
•	Number of first-time entrants to the Criminal Justice System.
•	Number of incidents related to specific violence crime type metrics.
•	Number of licensed premises related incidents.
•	Increase in evidence-led domestic violence related prosecutions.
•	Number of passive drug dog deployments and detections.

Partnership Priorities
Priority 4: Building Strong and Cohesive Communities 
Lead: Joy Allen, Office of the Durham Police and Crime Commissioner 
Issues:
•	Community Engagement
•	Hate Crime
•	Prevent
Key Issues:
•	With a population that is becoming more diverse it is important to identify changing issues and maintain Darlington’s high level of community cohesion.
•	As regional, national and international events unfold we must respond quickly and effectively to address any increased tension in the community. Experience from other parts of the country indicates that change in our communities presents a risk of increased hate crime and a threat to community resilience and cohesion.
•	Our concern is not just with race and culture - it also examines the many factors that could divide our community such as social class, prejudice and discrimination on the grounds of age, gender, disability, faith or sexual orientation.
•	Preventing terrorism has also become a key priority for Governments in recent years, and Darlington needs to be aware of the risks, and address them.
•	The main aim of Prevent is to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. At the heart of Prevent is safeguarding children and adults and providing early intervention to protect and divert people away from being drawn into terrorist activity.
•	Prevent addresses all forms of terrorism, but continues to ensure resources and effort are allocated on the basis of threats to our national security.
•	Channel is the name given to support those across the country who may be vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism. The overall aim of the programme is early intervention and diverting people away from the risk they may face.
•	The Durham / Darlington Channel Panel is designed to safeguard individuals at risk and is chaired by the local authority and consists of statutory partners and the Prevent Coordinator.

Our Focus
•	To increase reporting of hate crimes and hate incidents.
•	To prevent radicalisation and reduce the risk of terrorism.
•	To work with diverse groups in the population, and to support organisations which represent their interests.
What we will do (first 12 months)
•	Work closely with communities to raise awareness and encourage reporting of Hate Crime.
•	Map groups and organisations in Darlington which support specific communities; and identify any gaps. Develop an effective network and work with them to put in place a strategy and an action plan to improve community cohesion. Carry out widespread consultation to garner support for the strategy and action plan.
•	Deliver actions contained within the County Durham and Darlington Contest Delivery Strategy.
•	Map the existence of Prevent Champions, and identify gaps. Work with the Constabulary to ensure that appropriate training is in place for Prevent Champions.
•	Monitor the work of the Channel panel which will include challenging the ideology of extremism and providing support for individuals who are vulnerable to radicalisation.
•	Raise awareness of how to protect crowded places from, and respond to, a terrorist attack.
•	Ensure systems and training are in place to encourage professionals and members of the public to report relevant concerns regarding suspicious incidents and vulnerable people.
What we aim to achieve (duration of plan)
•	Increased reporting of hate crimes and hate incidents (noting that this may mean that the number of reported hate crimes and incidents rises).
•	Implement the community cohesion action plan, overseen by the Community Safety Partnership.
•	Hold to account key partners for implementation of the Community Cohesion Action Plan.
•	Delivery of County Durham and Darlington Contest Delivery Strategy.
Measuring Success
•	Number of hate crime and hate incidents.
•	Number of community events held.
•	Number of Prevent and Channel referrals.
•	Number of Prevent Champions identified and trained.
•	Public perceptions of community cohesion
Delivering the Plan
Delivery of the plan will be supported by a Strategic Lead who will be responsible for the development of an action plan which will set out what each operational group will do to secure the objectives detailed in this document. A copy of the action plan template is shown in Appendix 1.
A key requirement of the Darlington Community Safety Partnership is to co-ordinate the delivery of the plan, identify key resources and skills to achieve the best outcomes and review progress on a regular basis.
Darlington Community Safety Partnership has developed a robust performance management framework structured around the strategic priorities. This is further supported by a range of crime and disorder indicators to monitor and respond to any emerging trends around threat and risk in our communities.

Delivery Structure

Our Focus
Appendix 1: Work Action Plan