Norwich City Council

Council Services

Community Safety

Norwich has low crime levels and is safe compared to other major urban areas. One of the city council’s six corporate objectives is to ensure that the city is clean and safe.

Click here for the Community Safety Strategy

The Norwich Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership

The Crime and Disorder Act 1998, as amended by the Police Reform Act 2002, obliges the city council, Norfolk County Council, the Norfolk Police Authority, the Fire Authority and the Norwich Primary Care Trust to work in partnership to reduce crime and disorder.

This is done through the Norwich Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership made up of 18 partners. The six responsible authorities are:

  • Norwich City Council
  • Norfolk County Council
  • Norfolk Constabulary (Norwich Division)
  • the Police Authority
  • the Fire Service
  • Primary Care Trust.

Click here for the Crime, Disorder and Drugs Audit 2004

Partnership priorities

The Partnership’s four key priorities are:

  • burglary
  • vehicle crime
  • antisocial behaviour
  • violent crime.

Key Issue Groups made up of representatives from the agencies involved develop action plans for each priority.

CCTV and neighbourhood wardens

The city council spends over £500,000 on community safety each year. This covers the cost of Norwich’s CCTV system and 75 per cent of the cost of two neighbourhood warden schemes in deprived areas of Norwich. These schemes have been extremely successful with 72 per cent of people questioned saying the wardens had improved the quality of life in the area.

Antisocial behaviour and tenancy enforcement team (ABATE)

ABATE works with the police and other agencies, as well as the Norwich Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership’s Key Issue Group, on antisocial behaviour. The team uses the full range of processes that the government has made available to local authorities including:

  • possession action leading to the eviction of our tenants
  • injunctions
  • antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs)
  • lower profile acceptable behaviour contracts (ABCs)
  • mediation.

Reporting racial incidents

ABATE is Norwich City Council’s main contact point for racial incidents and works with the other relevant agencies, including the Norwich & Norfolk Racial Equality Council (NNREC).

How can the community get involved?

The Community Safety Forum allows communities to engage with the Partnership, and the council regarding local crime and disorder issues.

For further information call 01603 212377 or email community@norwich.gov.uk.