How Hartlepool aims to be a 'safe, prosperous and enjoyable place'

Work has been taking place in recent months on the town’s community safety plan for 2021-24, after a draft was approved for consultation earlier this year.

The final draft of the policy is to go before next week’s Safer Hartlepool Partnership for endorsement, with the strategic objective “to make Hartlepool a safe, prosperous and enjoyable place to live, work and visit”.

The three “key priorities” for the period are domestic violence, anti-social behaviour and drug and alcohol issues, as they were in the 2020-21 plan.

Councillor Shane Moore, chair of the Safer Hartlepool Partnership (SHP), in his foreword for the plan, said they will utilise data to deliver a “holistic approach to address priorities, with a greater emphasis on prevention and reducing harm”.

He said: “We will work in partnership to tackle the issues which impact on, and matter to local people.

“The SHP will continue to look at new and innovative ways of working collaboratively to reduce crime and disorder, substance misuse and re-offending.

“And most importantly, improving the quality of life for the people who live and work in and visit Hartlepool.”

A report from council director of neighbourhood and regulatory services Tony Hanson, to go before the Safer Hartlepool Partnership on Monday, notes that, although the consultation received limited responses, there was support for the priorities.

In his report, he said: “The Community Safety Plan 2021-24 will ensure that the needs of all sections of the community are considered when formulating and implementing the plan.”

It noted the plans hope to “reduce crime and disorder, combat substance misuse, and reduce re-offending.”

The report added it was “disappointing” only a small number of surveys were completed in the consultation, while engagement as part of the partnership’s online “Face the Public event” was low.

Officers said this could be as a result of the method being “very new and not yet embedded across the town”.

Examples of what the respondents felt were missing from the priorities included greater visible police presence, reducing street harassment and challenging behaviours that make women feel unsafe.

The report stated survey responses will be taken into consideration when developing plans and activities to tackle the priorities.