16 March 2010
Information for Young People
Community safety is about taking a partnership approach to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.
It is about improving the quality of life and reducing the fear of crime. Community safety affects us all - young and old, men and women, minority groups, special interest groups, the business community, the voluntary sector, victims and offenders, in fact everyone who lives, visits or works in the area.
On this page:
When the Council consulted with over 2000 young people for the Young People's Action Plan, we found that a lot of young people across the District are wary of going out on their own, of going to certain places within the District and of other people's behaviour - young and old.
The fear of crime is something that affects a lot of different people and can really affect their quality of life.
We hope that the information and links on this page will help young people to feel safer about the communities they live in and schools they attend; and if they do have a problem, they know the correct people to turn to for help and support.
Crime Statistics
Recently released crime figures show that Sevenoaks District is officially the safest District in Kent and had the lowest recorded number of crimes in the whole of the county last year.
This is due to a massive reduction of 8% (662 crimes), on the previous years figure of 7,948 and shows that the Sevenoaks District has the lowest number of recorded crimes out of all the 12 local authorities and one unitary authority in Kent and Medway.
Crime Figures are made up of the number of different types of crimes recorded in the District. Of the 15 different types crime monitored, the Sevenoaks District had the lowest number of recorded crimes in six of them, including drug offences, shoplifting, theft offences, and violence against the person.
Power Project
The Power Project is being run for young people who live in the Sevenoaks District. It aims to work with young people who are at risk of becoming involved in anti social and criminal activity.
The project will offer young people support and encouragement to make positive choices about their future. 'Power' is about the ability to do something or to influence the course of events.
The project aims to open up opportunities for you to try new things, explore your interests and also help you to look at areas you might like to change in your life.
Crime stoppers
Crimestoppers continues to make an impact in all areas of crime across the UK. You may want to tackle specific issues in your school or youth group with Crimestoppers help.
Why not start your own awareness campaign in your school/youth group?. If you want to become even more involved we can put you in touch with your local Crimestoppers representative and you can make a difference in your local community.
You can also call Crimestoppers with any information about crime in your area. Calls are free (from a landline) and you will not be asked to give your name or other personal details. You will not be asked to make a statement or appear in court. Call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Minority Groups & Bullying
Kent Police have a dedicated website that look at all areas of minority groups including sexuality, disability, faith, religion and hate crime.
Through Youth Voice, young people can play a major role in the work of UNICEF UK, the world's biggest children's charity and actually do something. You can help to campaign and lobby the government, raise money for children who desperately need our help and spread the word about children's rights.
Bullying is the repeated intimidation of others by the real or threatened infliction of physical, verbal, written, electronically transmitted, or emotional abuse, or through attacks on the property of another.
It may include, but not be limited to actions such as verbal taunts, name-calling and put downs, including ethnically-based or gender-based verbal put downs, and extortion of money or possessions.
Bullying UK is the UK’s leading anti-bullying charity and the top destination for parents, children and schools to get advice.
If you are being bullied, tell a friend, tell a teacher or a youth worker and tell your parents. It won't stop unless you do.
It can be hard to do this so if you don't feel you can do it in person it might be easier to write a note to your parents explaining how you feel, or perhaps confide in someone outside the immediate family, like a grandparent, aunt, uncle or cousin and ask them to help you tell your parents what’s going on.
CCTV
CCTV cameras are across the District and are used to help reduce crime and prevent victims of crime. The CCTV cameras assist the Police in arrests and hep contribute to making the District a safe place to live in Kent.
Anti-Social Behaviour
Whilst the term anti-social behaviour is a recent addition to our every day language, many of the behaviours it describes are not new. Examples include:
Mini Motos
Mini-motorbikes, such as mini-motos, quad bikes, and petrol driven scooters such as "go-peds" are now very popular. If you already own one or are thinking of buying one, please take a few moments to find out what the law is.
KCC Community Wardens & Your Local Officer
Kent County Council employ Community Wardens who work alongside the Police.
Kent Community Wardens are distinctively uniformed, they go out and about on bike or by foot and are a very visible presence in the community and a focal point for people's concerns about crime.
As well as acting as the eyes and ears of the police, they work with the community to help solve problems and build a strong community spirit.
Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) are uniformed civilian support officers introduced as part of the Government's Police Reform Act 2002.
Their aim is to help reduce the number of crimes taking place, reduce criminal damage and to reduce the fear of crime in our communities.
Community Wardens and PCSOs are there for the safety of all residents and many have been involved with activities and events for young people - for example by supporting youth workers working in the community, working with Town and Parish Councils and young people to enable them to participate in youth forums and have their say in developments relevant to them, even setting up events like fun football matches during school holidays.
It is worth getting to know your local Warden or PCSO as they are likely to be the people you will see walking around your town or village and who can help you and other residents to feel safer where they live.
You can also find out who your Neighbourhood Police Officer is by typing in your Post Code on the Kent Police Website.
General Information
The Young People's Safety Forum is a joint initiative between Kent Youth County Council, Medway Youth Parliament, the Fire Service, Kent Police and Kent Safe Schools.
The forum aims to help children and young people to identify issues of personal safety most important to them and work out ways of tackling them through raising awareness.
A safety campaign called 'Don't be Harmed, Be Alarmed' has been developed by young people in Kent and Medway and is supported by a number of local organisations including Kent Police.
To view the campaign, visit www.wiseup2safety.co.uk. There is information about staying safe when going out and coming home, taxi top tips, public transport, keeping your drink safe, bullying, discrimination, protecting your property, hate crimes and internet safety.
For more information, contact the Community Safety Section.
