Since 2006 Gravesham and Dartford have operated a joint Safety Community Partnership. However in October 2020 the joint partnership was dissolved to be replaced by two separate ones. Therefore there is now a new partnership which will focus solely on Dartford with the aim of providing community safety activities which better reflect its characteristics and challenges.
The role of a Community Safety Partnership (CSP) is to bring key local agencies together to deliver multi-agency solutions to local problems by pooling resources and experience.
The focus of the legislation requires members of the Partnership to do all they "reasonably can to prevent, (a) crime and disorder in its area (including anti-social behaviour and other behaviour adversely affecting the local environment) and (b) the misuse of drugs, alcohol and other substances in its area and (C) to reduce re-offending in the local area".
Community Safety Plan:
Included in the legislation that governs CSP's is a requirement to produce a plan or strategy which sets out how the partnerships will work to reduce crime and disorder in their areas.
The Dartford Community Safety Strategy for 2022 -2025 was released at the beginning of April 2022. The strategy will provide the direction that the partnership intends to take to further reduce crime and disorder over the next three years. It will be reviewed annually to take into account the changes in demand within Dartford, setting new priorities each year which are drawn out of an annual Strategic Assessment, an audit on the level of crime and anti-social behaviour in the borough.
The priorities set will also reflect the county-wide Community Safety Priorities highlighted within The Kent Police and Crime Commissioner's Plan.
View the Community Safety Strategy
Partners:
The partnership includes statutory partners along with other organisations that have invested interest in helping to prevent Crime and Disorder within Dartford. The list below includes those that make up the Partnership;
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- Kent Police*
- Dartford Borough Council* including:
- Leader of Dartford Borough Council and/or Cabinet Portfolio Member
- Director Housing and Public Protection
- Head of Housing
- Enforcement and Regulatory Services Manager
- Community Safety Manager
- Community Safety Officer
- Kent County Council* including:
- Kent Community Safety Team
- Early Help and Preventative Services
- Adolescent Support Team
- Youth Justice Team
- Prevent Team
- Kent Fire and Rescue Service*
- Clinical Commissioning Group*
- Probation Service*
- Voluntary Sector representative’s ie: Victim Support and Neighbourhood Watch.
- Other organisations as agreed by the Group
*Denotes statutory partner
It is also important to note that other agencies not involved in the CSP meetings are invited (where relevant) to be included in project work undertaken by the CSP. Some of which include individuals from the private sector; Bluewater, the Bridge Development, Ebbsfleet International Station and Land Securities.
ShopSafe StaySafe Scheme:
ShopSafe StaySafe ID scheme gives vulnerable people a temporary place to go if they are feeling confused, scared or upset or facing emergency when out and about in the town centre. Vulnerable people can include those who have a learning or physical disability, have an illness or severe medical condition or are feeling lost or confused.
By signing up to the scheme, members will be given an individual keyring/fob to identify themselves as needing assistance when they show it to staff in participating shops, cafes, restaurants, businesses and public buildings in the town centre. These can be identified as displaying a ‘ShopSafe StaySafe’ or ‘Dartford Town Against Crime’ window sign.
The scheme not only reassures vulnerable people that there are places to go if they need a little help whilst out and about in the town centre but also provides peace-of-mind to the people who care for them. They all know that the safe and supportive places will take care of them until more help arrives.
The Scheme is run by The Dartford Town Against Crime (DTAC) retail partnership, an accredited scheme which ensures that everybody’s personal information is correctly stored and used.
If you would like to become a member of the scheme or would like further details please contact Karen Radford, DTAC Manager at shop.safe@dartford.gov.uk
Businesses that wish to register their interest in the scheme can contact Karen Radford, DTAC Manager at shop.safe@dartford.gov.uk