GAINING THE CO-OPERATION OF THE PUBLIC IN PREVENTING CRIME
In the extensive consultation as outlined above, measures to help prevent crime were considered. Additionally the development of close working relationships with the Community safety Partnership and the Local Strategy Partnership provided opportunity to share concerns and identification of measures that can help the community to help themselves.
It has been encouraging to witness initiatives such as the Ballyclare Radio link to, inter alia, tackle shoplifting teams, being introduced and to see the Glengormley CCTV scheme progressing towards completion.
The DPP will continue to support all measures that will develop citizenship, reduce crime and the fear of crime and to actively participate in the Community Safety Partnership.
Contact with the elderly is maintained through the DPP being represented on the Senior Citizens Forum which provides a useful link between the elderly and the DPP. This valuable link provides an opportunity to learn of their concerns and provide advice on crime prevention measures that are available.
It has also been rewarding to maintain contact with the various Community and Police Consultation Fora, with members of the DPP participating in their valuable work, thus providing the opportunity to learn of the nature of localised problems and issues discussed at their meetings. Excellent initiatives undertaken by the University and Ballyclare groups have for example, resulted in personal alarms being provided to substantial numbers of elderly citizens.
Leading on from this, and the establishment of policing priorities, the DPP will continue to meet with the PSNI and Community Safety Partnership (CSP) co-ordinator to fully develop a strategy for gaining the co-operation of the public with the police in preventing crime.
The remit of the DPP is however, to focus upon coordination of effort and awareness raising activities in relation to crime prevention and community safety programmes. As such the DPP’s strategy in this area will consider how, in conjunction with other agencies, it can contribute to the implementation of schemes to this end.