By Mark Sumner, Head of Operations at NE1 Ltd.
Anniversaries come in thick and fast at NE1 at this time of the year, making spring the perfect time for reflection and celebration.
April marked the first anniversary of the City Safe scheme, a pioneering three-way partnership between NE1, Newcastle City Council and Northumbria Police. Launched with the sole mission of tackling crime and antisocial behaviour in the city centre, City Safe has already recorded some impressive results.
In its first twelve months City Safe was bolstered by stats showing an 8% reduction in overall crime, 37 criminal and banning orders issued, keeping serial offenders out of the city centre, and increased visibility due to the deployment of an extra 11 police officers on the beat.
NE1’s Street Rangers play a major role in this partnership, not only adding an extra, reassuring and highly visible layer of on-street support but also as the eyes and ears of the group, spending almost all of their time on the city’s streets. The team often act as first responders for businesses and the public when issues arise.
The timing of City Safe’s launch couldn’t have been better; when cities and towns across the UK were discussing the rise of on-street crime, shoplifting, and antisocial behaviour, Newcastle was already taking proactive steps to tackle these issues head-on, making on-street safety a priority.
One of the major advantages of City Safe, and a key factor in its success, is that the team operates from a shared workspace in the heart of the city. Working collaboratively and in a shared space has fostered a truly coordinated, consistent and cohesive resource with daily briefings and action plans based on realtime information.
City Safe’s rapid success has been helped in part by the groundwork laid by another of NE1’s citywide safety schemes, the Newcastle Business Crime Reduction Partnership (NBCRP), which celebrates its third anniversary this May.
Established in 2022, the NBCRP has grown to become one of the largest and most effective BCRP schemes in the UK, boasting over 350 business members in the city centre.
The NBCRP complements and feeds into City Safe, by providing businesses with a streamlined reporting and intelligence-sharing system, similar in focus to a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme. Businesses are encouraged to play their part in helping make Newcastle even safer by reporting any incidents, giving the partnership a clear picture of what’s actually going on in the city. Integrating City Safe with the NBCRP has created a comprehensive multi-channel and multi-agency approach to tackling crime and antisocial behaviour in the city.
Members get access to an online forum to record incidents, share information and raise the alarm to help prevent crime in the city centre. As well as reporting into the system, members are alerted when known offenders are operating so they can be vigilant and help prevent incidents from happening.
What truly sets Newcastle’s BCRP apart is its commitment to engaging with businesses. Before its launch, NE1’s research showed that over 90% of businesses had stopped reporting minor crimes because they had lost faith in the system and felt it was a waste of staff time.
By creating this streamlined crime reporting scheme and encouraging active participation, the NBCRP has built a network that responds to immediate issues and identifies patterns and hot spots, to create long-term solutions.
To date, the partnership has logged over 3,300 incidents and has resulted in more police officers being deployed in the city. NE1 have also funded a dedicated CCTV operator to monitor the network solely in the city centre.
The combined efforts of City Safe and the NBCRP have created a virtuous circle, where one initiative and its successes feed into the other, driving continuous improvement. The success of this approach has not only reduced crime but has fostered a greater sense of community and shared responsibility among businesses and partners.
Newcastle’s innovative approach is gaining traction and our success has helped position the city as an exemplar of best practices in urban safety and collaboration. We have received enquiries from other cities keen to learn from our experience and from national media and TV production companies keen to publicise our efforts.
As a city, we will continue to refine and expand these initiatives. The next step is to grow NBCRP membership, ensuring that all business sectors are represented and that everyone plays their part.
Our efforts remind us that safety is not just about numbers; it’s about people, partnerships, and the power of working together. Newcastle is leading the way, proving that cooperation is the key to creating vibrant, secure urban spaces.
Businesses interested in joining the NBCRP and contributing to Newcastle’s success story, or interested in more information about City Safe should contact NE1’s Head of Operations, Mark Sumner, at mark.sumner@newcastlene1ltd.com