Crime reduced by 11% in Grimsby Town Centre: A year of Safer Streets 5

Safer Streets 5 is an initiative ran by North East Lincolnshire Council and its partners to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB), making the town centre a more comfortable place to visit.

Additionally, theft has been reduced by 8% and robbery by 43%. In St. James’ Square alone, there was a drop in alcohol related ASB by 88% and a reduction of 35% in the Town Centre.

Supporting young people; carrying out days of action and employing the Safer Streets ambassadors are just some of the ways this has been achieved.

On December 6^th, 2023, the Haven Centre, on Osborne Street, was opened to give young people somewhere to go and has had over 1500 attendances between March and September this year.

With over 20 hours’ worth of sessions a month, covering a range of themes such as sexual health, it has been a key element in helping to educate the younger generation as well as giving them a safe space to enjoy.

In addition, the state of the art, £2.2 million security system has proved invaluable to EQUANS CCTV team and Humberside Police when tackling crime in the area. In three months, cameras supported 559 incidents with Humberside Police using the footage in relation to 113 crimes.

Safer Streets 5 has also funded an additional CCTV officer, dedicated to supporting the Town Centre to assist Waste Investigation Support Enforcement (WISE) officers and Safer Streets Ambassadors working on the ground and as additional support alongside Humberside Police during any crime or ASB.

Another key element of Safer Streets 5 is tackling violence against women and girls. To aid this, the Safer Streets Ambassadors have been working from 4pm until the early hours of the morning on Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the town centre.

The team have been helping vulnerable people and those in need by administering first aid or walking people to their taxis.

Between December 2023 and August 2024, they have engaged with 2,812 people and supported in 153 incidents.

Arguably, the most impactful method of reducing crime in Grimsby Town Centre has been the Days of Action ran by North East Lincolnshire Council and a range of partner organisations.

Since their inception in March 2024, teams from Humberside Police and Enforcement Officers have arrested 13 people and issued 46 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) for breaching Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs).

Councillor Ron Shepherd, Portfolio Holder for Safer and Stronger Communities, said: “These statistics prove that what we and our partners are doing is working.

“A reduction of over 11% in crime is incredible. It’s a clear indicator that our methods are working and that we’re making the town a better place to be.

“However, this is just the beginning. We will continue to carry out our Days of Action and use the CCTV system to help as much as we can across the town centre. The public mandate for a safer town centre has been paramount in the approach to policing and enforcement in our shopping areas.

“This is all a sign of change for North East Lincolnshire and coupled with the raft of regeneration projects, this is the start of a very bright future.”

Local Neighbourhood Inspector Claire Jacobs of Humberside Police added: “We are delighted to see the impact that Safer Streets 5 is already making on our area and I am excited to see what the future holds for the scheme.

“Tackling crime and antisocial behaviour and protecting our communities from harm is a priority for us and we will continue to work closely with partners to do so.”