Updates on actions

If you report a crime or anti-social behaviour it may be dealt with by one agency. If that’s the case, that agency should work with you during the case and let you know what the outcome was.

If you have raised a community safety issue with an agency and you’re not sure what action has been taken as a result, please contact us and we will try to assist you. You can contact us by email us at scatt@torbay.gov.uk or write to us at Safer Communities Torbay, Paignton Police Station, PO Box 1, Paignton, Devon, TQ3 2YF.

Taking action together

Often more than one agency is involved in the resolution of issues and we refer to this as ‘multi-agency’ or ‘partnership’ working.

Safer Communities Torbay is responsible for something called Locality Tasking, which is multi-agency working in action. Locality Tasking is a process that makes sure that action is taken quickly in response to anti-social behaviour, crime and disorder.

Locality Tasking meetings take place every fortnight and the people that attend are officers from a wide range of different agencies. There are two Locality Tasking Groups, one that covers Torquay and one that covers both Paington and Brixham.

At each meeting a tasking document is reviewed and that document contains information about:

• Locations where crime has been concentrated during the previous two weeks.
• Victims that have experienced crime repeatedly.
• Repeat offenders.

Locality Tasking meetings do not focus on issues that can be dealt with by a single agency, instead it focuses on local challenges that need a co-ordinated multi-agency approach.

At each meeting all those attending have to sign up to a Data Sharing Protocol in order to ensure that data is shared appropriately and within the law.

At a meeting officers are given tasks to complete to resolve issues and they have to report what actions they’ve taken and what difference that has made at the next meeting.

Involving the community

When community safety issues are raised that can’t be solved in the short term, the Locality Tasking Groups can set up ‘Task and Finish Groups’.

Task and Finish Groups are made up of officers from agencies and can also include representatives from the community.

Task and Finish Groups adopt a problem solving approach to working and develop action plans to make sure that their work is focused. Each member of the group is then responsible for completing specific actions and when the work has been completed, the group is disbanded.

Get involved

If you would like to be actively involved in helping to solve community safety issues in your neighbourhood, you can register your details with us. If a Task and Finish Group is set up to tackle an issue in your neighbourhood we may contact you to help us.

To register your interest please email us at scatt@torbay.gov.uk or write to us at Safer Communities Torbay, Paignton Police Station, PO Box 1, Paignton, Devon, TQ3 2YF.

There are other ways that you can get involved with tackling crime and improving community safety in your area including:

• Email officers from your local policing team, and tell them what your priority safety issues are via your Neighbourhood pages.
• Become a Special Constable.
• Join a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme.
• Volunteer with the police.
• Join the police cadet scheme (for those aged between 13 and 18).
• Join your Community Partnership. Find out more by email community.partnerships@torbay.gov.uk.