Community Safety and Sport
Sport can, and has been used as a means
to, improve community safety, not simply through time-bound diversionary
programmes, but through sustainable capacity building and community
development initiatives.
The Sports Council for Northern Ireland
is keen to encourage innovative partnership working within sports
development and recognises that community safety is one such arena within
which sport can contribute to the broader objectives, while at the same
time benefiting local sport.
Community Safety is about delivering
local solutions to local problems that have been identified by local
people.
The Community Safety Unit is the central
co-ordinating body for community safety in Northern Ireland.
It’s roles and functions are:
- Developing a
community safety strategy for Northern Ireland;
- Influencing other
Government Departments’ policies;
- Providing
information, guidance and advice to local community safety partnerships;
- Funding projects
that assist the meeting of central Government crime reduction targets;
- Funding local
projects and new and innovative projects;
- Forging
relationships with those dealing with community safety in other
countries; and
- Advising Ministers
on community safety issues.
The definition:
“Community safety means preventing,
reducing or containing the social, environmental and
intimidatory factors which affect people’s right to live without fear of
crime and which impact upon their quality of life. It includes
preventative measures that contribute to crime reduction and
tackle anti-social behaviour.”
Community Safety Partnerships
It’s widely
acknowledged that improvements in community safety cannot be delivered by
one single agency. Instead, there has been a trend for people from
different sectors to come together to tackle the negative impact that
crime, concern about crime and other safety issues have on everybody's
quality of life.
Throughout Northern Ireland, Community Safety Partnerships have been
established to strategically address these issues of concern. The
Coomunity Safety Unit website has contact details and more information on
the activity of each of the local partnerships
Why this
model?
Northern Ireland’s Community Safety Strategy identifies the structures for
delivering community safety. It recommends the use of Community Safety
Partnerships (CSPs) which are based on District Council areas. The
Strategy states that Local Councils are well placed to fulfil a leadership
and co-ordination role in view of the many networks that they already have
in place with other key local service providers. These Partnerships
represent a real opportunity to make a difference to the quality of life
for many people, through a joined up approach and through targeting
resources at a local level in response to identified problems.
The Strategy suggests the following three tier model for local Community
Safety Partnerships.
1. Strategic Tier
T o commit service delivery organisations, ensure links to other
strategies, and agree and review local action plans
2. Operational Tier
T o devise, deliver and implement the local action plan for community
safety.
3. Task Groups
T o take responsibility for specific parts of the action plan eg. specific
issues or specific areas within the district.
Most CSPs have chosen a locally appropriate
model for their area, which may or may not incorporate all three tiers.
Following initial
discussions between the Sports Council for Northern Ireland and the
Community Safety Unit, we would encourage all sports development officers
working in local councils, community/voluntary organisations etc to make
contact with their local Community Safety Partnership co-ordinator
(details available via
www.communitysafetyni.gov.uk).
For more information
on the Community Safety Unit, contact…
|
