Safer Communities Torbay Overview Video Transcript

Safer Communities Torbay

[Scene of adult and child walking hand-in-hand past beach huts on Preston promenade]

Torbay, known to many to many as the English Riviera, is a beautiful part of the country.

[Scene of Brixham harbour with colourful houses on hillside then Preston beach huts]

With some of the most picturesque seaside towns of the south west, it's also amongst the safest places to live in the UK. As with anywhere though, there are problems which can upset the status quo of local communities.

[Scene of Safer Communities Torbay meeting at the town hall]

Safer Communities Torbay is a partnership of many different agencies: Torbay Council; the police; fire and rescue; health; youth offending and probation to name but a few. We work together to identify emerging problems and resolve them. Our sole purpose is to serve the communities we work for and ensure that you feel Torbay is a safe place to live.

[Scenes of Torbay carnival floats around Paignton green and Paignton pier including Safer Communities Torbay workers handing out items from "know the code" bags]

Events like the carnival provide the perfect opportunity for us to get out there in the community, spread our message, and let people know how they can help us improve their quality of life. To tackle issues involving crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour, we need the public to come forward and report disturbances when they happen.

[Scene of Safer Communities Torbay anti-social behaviour team worker approaching and knocking on house door, and talking to local resident]

The effects of anti-social behaviour on a community can be debilitating. Intimidation and harassment by a minority of individuals can make life a misery for those around them. The result: vulnerable groups become isolated, and entire communities live in fear.

[Scenes of young people playing football near a PCSO, PCSOs walking along a residential road, Safer Communities Torbay "it's your community ... take a stand" bus poster and CCTV operator watching Torquay harbourside]

Because of all the agencies which make up Safer Communities Torbay, we're able to offer a combination of support and sanction when tackling anti-social behaviour. We understand that often it's not only the complainant that may have been suffering. We use a range of powers to put a stop to anti-social behaviour and will take enforcement action through the courts if necessary.

[Scene of Torbay council street warden talking to the public on Torquay harbourside and community garden project]

Torbay's street wardens are one of our most public faces - effectively the eyes and ears of the council and partnering agencies. Their duties include anything from running community projects, tackling litter issues and supporting partnership campaigns and incentives, to just being there. for public reassurance, They've become familiar and trusted faces. "People will tell us things that they possibly wouldn't dream of telling anybody else, so there again we act as the link to the police, to the anti-social behaviour team, other departments of the council, and we can pass on people's concerns, people's fears, and hopefully we can also help allay those fears for them, just by being the presence that's there that they want."

[Scene of "The Box" youth van, then young people training with the fire brigade and playing football]

Safer Communities is also instrumental in providing activities to teach young people new skills, giving them something fun to do that will inspire them to achieve more in life. Junior street wardens, boxing clubs, football tournaments and training sessions, 999 cadets and life-skills courses, are some of the initiatives we're involved in. PCSO: "I strongly believe that during our time working in the area we have helped to reduce anti-social behaviour in this area. We've got to remember that we've got a lot of good young people in this area and sometimes, without activities to divert them from getting in trouble, you're going to see trouble happen I think."

[Scene of Safer Communities Torbay family intervention project worker visiting a home]

We also work closely with Torbay's family intervention project (FIP). FIP engages families who are risk of losing their tenancy because of complaints about anti-social behaviour. Children's services and health services and education services - they're not going to be able to coordinate a plan to prevent a tenancy being lost - that needs to be a multi-agency plan including housing, police, anti-social behaviour team plus the other services. Key workers use a combination of ongoing support and sanction with the of aim of changing the behaviour of these families, in turn, restoring order in the affected community.

[Scene of a teenager tending a community garden]

Together with Torbay's youth offending team, we're also helping teenagers like Jon to turn their lives around. Community reparation made him see the error of his ways, and he's vowed never to end up in a court room again. Reparation as a form of sanction gives young people the chance to make amends for their offending behaviour, giving something back to the community, and often, the victims themselves. "I've just changed my behaviour now, ... . I never used to care before and now I care".

[Scene of adult at flats and then of "anyone could be a target" poster and lady in public gardens in the Bay]

The work of Safer Communities touches the lives of many different people in Torbay. By working in partnership, we help individuals who are trying to turn their backs on crime and substance abuse, and also provide both practical and emotional support to men and women who've experienced domestic abuse. People like Sheri who has built a new life for herself after leaving an abusive partner. "People need to know that there is support out there for them and if I can do it they can do it. The support is absolutely fantastic."

[Scenes of lady waiting for taxi and then of policeman and doorman outside public house on Torquay harbourside and people eating out. Also scenes of The Bus, outside a nightclub, etc. ]

We've also taken positive action to make Torbay a safe place by night. A carefully managed team of professionals work together behind the scenes as well as in the public eye, to ensure that evenings out remain enjoyable but safe. The police, street pastors, night bus, door staff, licensing and CCTV control room, are amongst those who make up the night time economy team, ensuring that nights are memorable for the right reasons. Principal Safety and Licensing Officer: "It is a safe place - we have one of the lower crime figures for a town that does have a party atmosphere."

[General scenes around Torquay harbour]

In all these diverse areas, Safer Communities Torbay is making a difference. By responding to local issues, by working in your community, we're enhancing the quality of life for everyone.

Safer Communities Torbay: working with you, for you.