Introduction

Community safety is any activity that is designed to prevent and reduce crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour and reassure communities, so they feel safer.

In Somerset, work is often broken down into pieces of work that have themes. These include:

• Domestic abuse
• Anti-social behaviour
• Exploitation
• Preventing radicalisation and terrorism
• Serious violence
• Hate crime
• Modern slavery
• Community engagement

In Somerset, we take a public health approach to our community safety work.  This is because:

• The risk of being involved in crime, and the impacts crime can have, is a population wide concern. Crime and the fear of crime impacts on peoples physical and mental health.
• Criminal behaviour and violence can spread like a disease. Therefore, it is preventable.
• Taking this approach looks at the root causes, focussing on prevention.
• Preventing crime or risk of victimisation or perpetration should be seen in the wider context of tackling health inequalities.
• The wider factors of health can impact the risk of victimisation and perpetration of crime.

Community Safety Partnership

The way that the council discharges a lot of its community safety functions is by working in partnership with other local organisations. In Somerset, this is through the Safer Somerset Partnership.

Anti-Social Behaviour

Anti-social behaviour is a term that is applied to a wide range of activity. The definition that we use is the one in the Crime and Disorder Act, 1998 which is that “anti-social behaviour is any activity that causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to one or more persons not of the same household”.

You can find out more about anti-social behaviour and how to report it on our Anti-Social Behaviour page.

Anti-Social Behaviour Case Review

If you have already reported a problem to the council, police or housing provider, and you feel that no one is dealing with problems you are experiencing. The Anti-Social Behaviour Case Review is a way for you to ask the agencies to review your case. It will make sure we work together to try to solve the problem.

The review brings all the agencies with the responsibility to tackle anti-social behaviour problems together to review the case and try to find a solution. The Anti-Social Behaviour case review can be used by individuals, businesses or community groups.

To be able to use the Anti-Social Behaviour case review process:

• One person must have made three reports about the problem within six months
• More than one person or group must have made five reports involving the same location, culprit or problem within six months

To start an Anti-Social Behaviour case review, visit the Avon and Somerset Police page and click on the Somerset tab or phone 101 and say you want to use the Somerset Anti-Social Behaviour Case Review.

Request an Anti-social Behaviour Case Review | Avon and Somerset Police

CCTV - Closed Circuit Television

Somerset Council operates a CCTV service. You can find out more on our CCTV – Closed circuit television page.