Colchester City Council Community Safety Partnership – Key Areas of Focus for 2026/27

As part of this we are actively seeking input from our partners, residents, and businesses to hear their thoughts on how we can do that.  More information about the CSP can be found on our website here:  Our Work – Colchester Community Safety Partnership

The Key Areas of Focus drive our activity for the coming year.  We have drafted the following and welcome any feedback for us to consider.  Please email me by Tuesday 13^th January 2026

Samantha.Goodman@colchester.gov.uk

Preventing domestic abuse and sexual offences while fostering safer, healthier relationships.

• Awareness and Education: Promote understanding of abuse and available support.
• Early Intervention: Encourage safe, healthy relationships from the outset.
• Victim Support: Provide accessible, trauma-informed services.
• Perpetrator Accountability: Address and reform abusive behaviour.
• Professional Training: Equip frontline workers with skills to respond effectively.
• Data Sharing and Reporting: Enhance collaboration and streamline reporting systems

Safeguarding individuals vulnerable to violence or exploitation

• Awareness and Education: Highlight high-harm crimes and empower communities to report and prevent Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).
• Early Intervention: Support those at risk of violence or exploitation through proactive measures.
• Community Action: Strengthen local networks to tackle violence and exploitation.
• Victim Support: Ensure access to safe spaces, counselling, and legal aid.
• Perpetrator Action: Target offenders with enforcement and rehabilitation.

• Collaboration: Strengthen partnerships including Colchester Against Modern Slavery, to enhance agency coordination to safeguard vulnerable individuals.

Addressing antisocial behaviour, neighbourhood crimes, and their root causes

• Identify and Target Hotspots: Use data (police, fire, local authority and business reports) and community insights to pinpoint ASB trends, shoplifting and neighbourhood crime locations. To ensure focused interventions in high-impact areas.
• Community Education: Raise awareness of the impacts of ASB and crime (including financial and emotional), fostering understanding and encouraging responsibility.
• Empower Communities: Improve public perceptions and support local groups to take an active role in resolving neighbourhood issues. Encourage the reporting of ASB and suspicious activity.
• Prevent and Mitigate ASB: Implement measures (including environmental design and targeted patrols) to prevent ASB and minimise its impact on individuals, communities, and businesses. Support businesses in implementing effective security measures and reporting protocols.
• Engage Young People: Deliver early intervention programmes to divert young people from ASB and crime, addressing low-level behaviours before they escalate.
• Collaborate for Sustainable Solutions: Strengthen partnerships among agencies, community groups and business community to tackle root causes and promote long-term safety.

• Engage with Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP): Actively promote and facilitate engagement with the local BCRP to integrate businesses into the wider crime reduction strategy. Promote the DISC platform and its benefits to relevant businesses.

Promoting safety, inclusivity, and social, economic, and environmental wellbeing for all of Colchester’s community.

• Engage Diverse Voices: Strengthen engagement with lesser-heard groups to ensure inclusivity and representation in community safety efforts.
• Tackle Hate Crime: Reduce incidents of hate crime through awareness, prevention initiatives, and support for victims.
• Raise Awareness: Promote suicide awareness, fraud prevention, and personal safety to empower individuals and reduce victimisation.
• Improve Public Safety: Enhance perceptions of safety and reduce crime through visible community policing and proactive measures.
• Support Safer Roads: Collaborate on road safety initiatives to reduce accidents and promote responsible behaviour.
• Effective Signposting: Provide clear pathways to advice, support services, and resources for all community members.