Ryedale safety top of agenda (From Gazette & Herald)

Ryedale safety top of agenda

SAFETY in Ryedale is at the top of the agenda with the launch of a new strategy aimed at improving quality of life in the region.

The three-year plan focuses on aspects of community safety highlighted by residents in last year's crime audit.

And although the district is one of the safest places to live in the country, key figures in the Community Safety Partnership say more can and will be done.

Chief Superintendent Anthony McDermott, of North Yorkshire Police, said: "People are recognising that it is not just the police who are concerned with community safety.

"It's about recognising that we all have a role to play."

Supt McDermott said the police were looking at issues in the long term.

He said: "We could deploy every officer out there in uniform driving from village to village, but it will not tackle long-term problems of disorder.

"We have officers in youth action and community safety roles to look at the solutions."

He added: "If we ignore youth issues then crimes will continue to be committed.

"These offences will nullify any perceived benefits of having two more officers on the beat."

Policy development officer Justine Harris, from North Yorkshire County Council, said: "The Community Safety Partnership has concentrated on issues surrounding the fear of crime and the quality of life in Ryedale rather than crime levels.

"We are not saying reducing the level of crime is not important.

"But Ryedale does not have a huge crime rate and we are addressing the effects even small crimes have on the population as a whole."

She added: "As a council we want to heighten officers' awareness of community safety, so it becomes a day-to-day part of their jobs as they go about implementing policies which affect everyone."

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service have been heavily involved in the community safety strategy.

Tony Dyer, Ryedale area manager, said: "We all have our individual aims, but we can only really achieve that if we can work together and pool resources.

"Partnership working is essential to get across what we want, which is a message about safety in whatever format."

The North Yorkshire Mobile Police Unit will be visiting towns in Ryedale with a display on the new community safety strategy next week.

The unit will start in Pickering on Monday; Malton on Tuesday; in Kirkbymoorside on Wednesday, April 24; Norton on Thursday, April 25; and finishing in Helmsley on Friday, April 26.

Updated: 09:14 Wednesday, April 17, 2002