Our Strategy

Safer Communities Torbay, a partnership between statutory and voluntary sector agencies in Torbay was established in 1998 as the primary vehicle for tackling crime and disorder issues in Torbay. Since its inception it has moved from strength to strength reducing crime and improving safety Torbay wide. The Partnership prides itself on being active and innovative in its approach to crime reduction through effective collaborative working that directly involves service users and the wider community, essentially working with you, for you. It’s mission statement is:

Working together in our community to make Torbay an even
safer place, increasing confidence, responding to local issues
and enhancing the quality of life for everyone.

Through a well resourced and skilled Safer Communities Torbay team, the partnership has been and will continue to be the driving force in delivering community safety. Through a range of projects and services that have made a reduction to crime, disorder and the fear often associated with these issues in many local neighbourhoods across Torbay.

Following the Police Reform Act, national guidance required Crime Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRP) to merge with Substance Misuse Teams (formerly known as the Drug & Alcohol Action Teams), the body responsible for delivering the National Drugs Strategy locally and supporting implementation of the National Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy. Due to the close working relationship between the two departments this was a smooth process, which was recognised at a national level as being an example of best practice. The Community Safety Strategy 2005/08 represents the first time that the strategic priorities of both teams have been fully integrated into one structure.

Safer Communities Torbay is guided by a Partnership Management Group, which comprises of senior representatives from Torbay Council, Torbay Care Trust, Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, Torbay Youth Offending Team, Devon Fire and Rescue and Devon and Cornwall Probation. The key strategic and operational officers that comprise Safer Communities Torbay are co-located at Torquay Police Station, which has proven to be a great success. It has ensured clarity of process and structures, and enabled partnership activity to become more cohesive and co-ordinated.

Partnerships are required by the Government to conduct a Crime Disorder & Substance Misuse Audit. The audit enables us to; better understand the problems we are working hard to address and continually strive to ensure that there is a solid evidence base for the work we are doing. There are a number of elements to the process, but in broad terms relevant agencies and organisations alike are required to undertake a joint audit of crime, disorder and substance misuse, consult with the wider community and ultimately publish a three-year partnership strategy (subject to annual reviews). It also allows the partnership to review the work, which has taken place over the previous three years, and evaluate both success and failures.

This strategy is backed up by annual action plans that detail specific tasks and projects that tackle the priorities. They pull out the key facts from the audit, state what work will be undertaken and by whom and detail the financial responsibility of the work. The action plans also encompass more than just the work of Safer Communities Torbay, including work of our partner agencies that will impact positively on our targets. The authors felt it was important that as a merged partnership this document is inclusive of all work taking place across Torbay to reduce crime, disorder and substance misuse.

Crime is the single most important concern for residents of Torbay. This three-year strategy represents an undertaking by all local statutory agencies and the voluntary sector to work positively with residents, communities and other agencies to make the lives of all those in our community free from crime and free from the fear of crime.

This document provides a constructive framework within which to achieve two ultimate goals by 2008. These constitute our vision for the future of community safety in Torbay:

1. To reduce crime in Torbay by 17.5%
2. To increase public reassurance, community engagement and confidence in the criminal justice system

These are challenging goals, however we believe this new strategy demonstrates the firm commitment of Partnership representatives and local people to work together to make Torbay an even safer place, increasing confidence, responding to local issues
and enhancing the quality of life for everyone.