Press Releases/Projects

Press Releases

Alcohol Related Crime and Drugs

Policing in the 21st Century - Reconnecting Police and the People Paper
This paper signals the most radical change to policing in 50 years. We will transfer power in policing – replacing bureaucratic accountability with democratic accountability.

A New Enhanced Alcohol Service
Addaction Drug & Alcohol Services provide an enhanced alcohol treatment service across Devon. The service helps to reduce physical and psychological health-related problems due to problematic alcohol misuse and reduce the harm caused by alcohol to individuals, families and society.

'Booze ASBOs' Call Time on Problem Drinkers
Tough new powers to crack down on people responsible for alcohol-fuelled crime and anti-social behaviour have come into force, Home Office Minister Alan Campbell has announced.

Children Learn Through Song and Dance How Illegal Substances Harm the Body
Children aged 3-11 years in North Devon and Torridge are learning about how illegal substances harm the human body through a unique health and drug education programme.

Dedicated Workers Sought for Tackling Drugs Changing Lives Awards
The fourth annual national Tackling Drugs Changing Lives Awards, designed to recognise, reward and celebrate the work being done by drug teams and workers across the country, have been launched today by Home Office Minister Alan Campbell.

Devon People Challenged to Rethink their Drink
In 2006/07, 16 per cent of hospital admissions in Devon were related to alcohol consumption.

Devon Women Urged to Stay off Alcohol During Pregnancy
NHS Devon has warned pregnant women of the dangers of alcohol as part of alcohol awareness week.

DrugScope Survey Shows Level of Drug Addiction in Family Settings
Nearly one in 5 adults in the UK have had personal experience of drug addiction either directly or through their family and friends, according to new research published by DrugScope. The poll of more than 1,000 adults across the country also revealed that one in 20 respondents had witnessed drug addiction in their family and one in 50 had themselves been addicted at some point.

Help Tackle Drugs: Rat on a Rat
That’s the message from CrimeStoppers who have teamed up with Safer North Devon in fresh efforts to work with communities to tackle drug-dealing neighbours.

Major New Campaign to Crack Down on Drug Driving
The first National TV advertising campaign to tackle drug driving was launched by Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis after new research showed that one in 10 young male drivers admit to driving after taking illegal drugs.

New Advertising Explores the Darker Side of Cocaine
New advertising from drugs information and advice service, FRANK, launched on Friday 9 October to warn 15 to 18 year olds about the risks of using cocaine, and the damage it can do to the heart and nose.  The £1.6 million TV, digital, cinema and outdoor advertising campaign will extend last year’s successful* Pablo the drug mule dog campaign, with two new additional TV ads continuing Pablo’s journey to expose the darker side of coke.

New NHS Campaign Reveals Unseen Alcohol Damage
The £6 million Government funded campaign shows the damage that is being done to drinkers' organs while they are drinking in a pub or at home. The Department of Health has developed the campaign in association with Cancer Research UK, the British Heart Foundation and the Stroke Association to create the series of stark TV, press and outdoor adverts showing the harm that regularly drinking more than two drinks a day can cause.

A new YouGov poll launched to coincide with the campaign shows that more than half (55%) of English drinkers misguidedly believe that alcohol only damages your health if you regularly get drunk or binge drink. The survey of over 2,000 adults also found that 83% of those who regularly drink more than the NHS recommended limits of 2-3 units a day for women (about two small glasses of wine) and 3-4 units a day for men (about two pints of lager) don't think their drinking is putting their long-term health at risk.

Although 79% of South West drinkers surveyed knew that drinking alcohol is related to liver disease, far fewer realised it is also linked with breast cancer (8%), throat cancer (25%), mouth cancer (27%), stroke (35%) and heart disease (52%), along with other serious conditions.

The campaign website features interactive tools to arm people with the information they need to make healthier choices.

Over 1 in 5 Blame Beer Pressure For Drinking More
Peer pressure to drink to excess could be all in our minds according to a survey published for the Department of Health.

Retailers Join Partners in Offering Drug and Alcohol Information to Their Customers
As part of National Tackling Drugs Week, Barnstaple shoppers were offered community information on alcohol and drugs as they did their local supermarket and DIY shop.

Safe, Sensible, Social - a Reminder to our Local Drinkers
Designed to help you enjoy a safer night out in Northern Devon, this campaign includes advice on safe drinking, how to avoid incidents of alcohol-related violence and how to make sure you get home safely at the end of the night.

£10,000 Worth of Drugs Seized in Latest Warrant - Communities Praised for Their Support
A joint police team led by North Devons Targeted Policing Team (TPT) assisted by Neighbourhood Beat Managers (NBM’s), Police PACT (Partners and Communities Together) Team, and Response Teams conducted a successful Misuse of Drugs Act warrant at Litchdon Street.

Track Your Festive Drinking With Your Mobile
A new mobile phone application that helps people to keep track of their drinking during the festive period was launched today by the Public Health Minister Gillian Merron.

Why Let Drink Decide - Government Campaign Asks Parents and Young People
Children's Secretary Ed Balls joins forces with comedian Bill Bailey to launch a new national advertising campaign to raise awareness of how alcohol can make young people vulnerable to problems such as unwanted pregnancies, road traffic accidents and poor marks at school.

The advertisements ask young people and their parents 'why let drink decide?' and aims to help parents work with their children to establish a safe and sensible relationship with alcohol.

Y-Smart Appoints New Young Person to Assist With Volunteer Programme
Y-Smart, the Drug and Alcohol service for all young people who live in Northern Devon has just appointed a new Young Person to lead on the co-ordination of their young volunteers.

Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB)

Bid to get Barnstaple Pannier Market closed off at night
A bid is being made to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour taking place in Barnstaple’s
pannier market overnight.

Is the Police Authority Hearing Your Voice
A recent consultation exercise has found 65% of people asked agreed that the police in their area were dealing with anti-social behaviour.

New Website Launched to Show who is Tackling ASB in Your Area
Getting help tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB) and seeing what has been done in your area is now even easier thanks to a new website launched by the Home Secretary Alan Johnson. The ASB Action Website is part of the government's commitment to ensuring those suffering harassment or intimidation feel confident they know who to turn to. The website allows the public to find the person or team in their area who can tackle local problems with anti-social behaviour.

PM Discusses Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour
The Prime Minister has taken questions from the public on issues such as anti-social behaviour and the Government’s Justice Seen Justice Done programme

P.R.I.D.E. Graffiti Initiative Launched in Northern Devon
A new graffiti clean up operation is being launched to help combat and eradicate graffiti hot spots across North Devon and Torridge Districts.

Students Launch ASBO Leaflet
NORTH Devon College students have designed and launched a new leaflet aimed at helping to reduce anti -ocial behaviour.

Ten Ways Safer North Devon Tackles Crime and Anti-social Behaviour (ASB)

Three Strikes
A football-style referee scheme using red and yellow cards to warn late night troublemakers of the consequences of their behaviour has been launched in North Devon and Torridge by Devon & Cornwall Police in partnership with Safer North Devon* and all participating pubs and clubs.

Torrington Pupils Put Design Skills to Work
Pupils from Great Torrington Junior School have been helping to spread the word about anti social behaviour.

Domestic Violence and Abuse

Devon Initiative Heralded a National Success
 Devon's approach to tackling domestic violence and supporting victims has been heralded by the Audit Commission as an example of good work that could also be effective elsewhere.

A review of Comprehensive Area Assessment, published by the Audit Commission today, says that councils, the police, NHS, business and voluntary organisations need to learn from each other and work more closely together if they are to improve services and increase value for money.

In their report, they highlight the work of Devon's nationally acclaimed ADVA(Against Domestic Violence and Abuse) partnership, led by Devon County Council. ADVA brings together councils, health services, police, courts and the voluntary sector to counter domestic violence.

The Commission reports that since the partnership began, there has been a six-fold increase in the number of victims helped, prosecution and conviction rates have risen, and thousands of staff from local services and businesses have been trained to recognise the signs of domestic abuse.

Exeter Labour County Councillor and Chair of the ADVA partnership, said:
"This is a fine example of agencies working together in partnership for the benefit of local people. ADVA's far reaching work is providing essential support for victims of domestic violence and their families, as well as providing corrective programmes for perpetrators."

Devon has received two 'green flags' from the Audit Commision for exceptional performance. In addition to tackling domestic violence, Devon has also received praise for its partnership work on combat climate change.

Domestic Violence - Drop in Incidents Nationally
Harriet Harman, Minister for Women and Equality, has welcomed new figures which show that since 1997 there has been a 64 per cent drop in incidents of domestic violence. (Source: Government Equalities Office)

Providing Sanctuary for Victims of Domestic Violence
A new service to help victims of domestic violence stay safe in their homes has been launched.

Restraining Order Powers to Protect Victims of Domestic Violence
A powerful tool to help protect victims of harassment including domestic abuse will come into effect next month, the government has confirmed. From 30 September, Courts will have greater freedom to grant restraining orders when abusers appear before them, giving victims immediate protection and sparing them the ordeal of a separate civil action.

Tough New Powers to Help Victims Break Cycle of Domestic Violence
Violent partners will be banned from their homes and their victims given support to escape abuse under new proposals due to be unveiled by Home Secretary Alan Johnson.

General

Bogus Caller Strikes
North Devon residents are being urged to be aware of bogus callers, posing as council
officers, operating in the area.

Cashback from Crooks as Millions in Seized Assets Pay Communities Back
Communities across the country are benefiting as ill gotten gains confiscated from crooks are used to fund worthwhile community projects, Home Secretary Alan Johnson announced. The £4 million Community Cashback scheme gives local people a direct say on how criminal assets are spent in the fight against crime and anti-social behaviour. The new scheme is funded by cash and assets seized from criminals.

From Caterpillar to Butterfly - Freedom Social Projects helps most vulnerable members of society
The Freedom Centre in Barnstaple, run by the charity Freedom Social Projects is joining with Safer North Devon in celebrating 10 years of building safer communities together.

MAPPA: Beacon of Best Practice in Public Protection
UK multi-agency teams that manage serious offenders in the community under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangement (MAPPA) are being seen as beacons of best practice in public protection by countries around the world. Countries that have expressed an interest in learning more about MAPPA are America, Canada, South Korea, Jamaica, Norway and Latvia. In the last couple of years, both Scotland and Northern Ireland have introduced MAPPA following its success in England and Wales.

New Drive to Free Councils up to Respond More Quickly to Community Concerns
Communities Secretary John Denham is putting councils in the driving seat when it comes to dealing with issues that local residents clearly say they want tackled. Mr Denham is to change the rules that require councils to get Whitehall permission if they want to create local byelaws or revoke ones not needed. Instead, the red tape would be cut away and councils would face local scrutiny and the need to get agreement from residents as a way to give them greater say on tackling localised problems.

Partnership Working

Fire Safety in Our Communities
Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service works hard to help keep us safe by providing information and raising awareness of what they can do for us at home, in school and in our workplace.

A Safer and Cleaner North Devon
SAFER North Devon is this week celebrating 10 years of tackling crime and anti-social behaviour across North Devon and Torridge as part of national Not in My Neighbourhood Week.

North Devon is 'Safe and Sound'
A new quarterly magazine is being launched, celebrating the first 10 years of an organisation that works to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour across North Devon and Torridge.

Safer North Devon celebrates 10 years of reducing crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB)
Safer North Devon is celebrating ten years of tackling crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB) across North Devon and Torridge.

Ten questions about Safer North Devon

Policing/Neighbourhood Policing

Government Unveils Plans for Smarter Working to Help Police Fight Crime and Tackle Anti-Social Behaviour
A new programme of measures to help the police work smarter to fight crime, tackle anti-social behaviour and further increase public confidence was launched by the Home Secretary today.

Local Crime Figures and Neighbourhood Police Details at the Touch of a Button
A new interactive national map giving the public access to local statistics and details on neighbourhood policing in their area was launched by Home Office Minister David Hanson and National Policing Improvement Agency Deputy Chief Executive Steve Mortimore. The online map will allow residents to view figures for all crime as well as burglary, robbery, violence, vehicle crime and anti-social behaviour in their area at the touch of a button.

National Tackling Drugs Week
To highlight this work Safer Northern Devon will be profiling a number of initiatives and services designed to reduce the impact of Drugs on our communities. 

Police Initiative to Tackle Rise in Violence on Licensed Premises
Although violent crime has dropped in Northern Devon violence on licensed premises has seen a small rise.

Prevent - Progress and Prospects
Preventing the violent extremism that can create "home grown" terrorists is a responsibility shared between police, their partners and the community working together - according to Denis O'Connor, HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary. HMIC's report, 'Prevent - Progress and Prospects', highlights the critical role played by the police in delivering 'Prevent', which is part of the government's counter terrorism strategy.

Targeting those who Offend Most in our Community
The Prolific and Priority Offenders Scheme (PPO) is a Government driven scheme which targets those offenders who cause the most damage to our community through repeat prolific offending.

Young People

Barnstaple in Bloom Recognises Good Work of Young Offenders
Barnstaple in Bloom has reaped the benefits of working with young offenders this year who have helped the town prepare for its annual floral display.

Local Agencies Work Together to Help Youngsters Stay Safe
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service are running a number of schemes across the region to connect with youngsters in the community to help them stay safe.

New Adverts Highlight the Cost of Carrying a Knife
New advertising which highlights the cost of carrying a knife and a taskforce of young anti-knife crime campaigners have been launched by Home Office Minister David Hanson. They are part of the next phase of the Home Office’s 'It Doesn’t Have to Happen' campaign, which aims to reduce knife carrying among 10 to 16 year olds.

New Pledge to Support Young Victims of Crime
A pioneering government programme to support young victims of crime as well as helping them to keep themselves safe will be rolled out nationwide, Justice Minister Bridget Prentice announced. Around 13,000 young people at risk of becoming a victim of crime including anti-social behaviour, knife or gang related crime have already been reached through the work of 5 innovative pilots. These pilots also enable young victims to deal with the impact of a crime and move on with their lives. The government is pledging a further half a million pounds to helping new projects learn from their success.

Smarter and Stronger Sentences for Youth Crime
New, smarter punishments, that will further tackle the underlying causes of youth crime, help prevent reoffending and make our neighbourhoods safer and better places to live, will come into effect on 30 November. The Youth Rehabilitation Order (YRO) will provide judges and magistrates with a choice of 18 rigorous options from which they will be able to create a sentence specifically designed to deal with the individual circumstances of the young offender before them and so help them turn their backs on crime.

Young Offenders Help Children's Centre to Make Amends
Young offenders are 'doing their dues' for the harm they have caused by helping the Sure Start Children's Centre in Barnstaple with painting, gardening and singing songs. Working with the Barnstaple Youth Offending Team, Sure Start Barnstaple ensures suitable young offenders are found to help out at the Centre.

Young Offenders Help Maintain Tarka Trail
The Northern Devon Coast and Countryside Service (NDCCS) is a partnership organisation hosted by Devon County Council working for the rural environment in Northern Devon.

Projects

Crime Awareness Fridge Magnet
Family, friends and even pets are playing vital roles in a crime safety initiative with a friendly face to help safeguard vulnerable people from potential thieves and con artists calling at their homes. Police have joined forces with the North Devon Hospice, and Age Concern to launch the "crime awareness fridge magnet" and make it available throughout North Devon and Torridge. The magnet cards contain the message that householders should beware of unexpected callers at the door and to call 999 if they are concerned, with an accompanying leaflet giving additional advice.

Alcohol Data Collection and Emergency Project
Alcohol and Drugs - reducing the impact on our community

Anti-Social Behaviour Training Project
Reducing the impact of Anti-Social Behaviour

Community Services Directory
Alcohol and Drugs - reducing the impact on our community

Crack House Closure (Anti-Social Behaviour)
Intelligence was being received since 2005 about Drugs and Drug dealing from this address. There was an increase in Crime and Anti Social Behaviour and this raised the fear of Crime.

Hate Incident Reporting Form
Hate crimes are under reported and only by getting people to report incidents can organisations build up a complete picture of hate incidents in the area and start to do something to stop them.

Holiday Activities Project (Youth Crime Prevention)
A group of partner agencies, responsible for Youth Crime Prevention, concluded that there was insufficient information available to them to identify areas of need and target resources to provide additional holiday provision. In order to identify areas of need it proved necessary to map youth crime hotspots against existing levels of provision.

Ilfracombe College ASB Clinic (Anti-Social Behaviour)
Ilfracombe was identified by Safer North Devon as a priority area and was already identified as a focus for Neighbourhood Management resulting in applications for national grants including Neighbourhood Pathfinder and Objective Two Funding.

Anti-Social Behaviour Leaflet designed by College Students (Anti-Social Behaviour)
Students from North Devon College were asked to help Safer North Devon produce a design brief for an Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) information leaflet suitable for young people aged 10 – 17 years of age.

Great Torrington Junior School Anti-Social Behaviour Project (Anti-Social Behaviour)
It was identified that there are currently no young person friendly leaflets available in North Devon providing information on Anti Social Behaviour to 7 – 11year olds.

North Devon Women's Aid
Improve the Annetta Lightburn House Outreach Building