Weeks of action chopped in Hucknall but saved in Bulwell
WEEKS of action designed to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in Hucknall are set for the chop.
Notts County Council want to axe the initiatives as part of proposed budget cuts designed to save 31 million next year.
But in nearby Bulwell, residents will benefit from a pledge to continue running the schemes.
Throughout the city, 30 weeks of action have been held. And they have become so popular that the organisers struggle to cope with demand.
Each event involves several organisations, including councils, the police, street cleaners and the fire service.
During a week entitled 'Respect For Bulwell' in July last year, 1,053 houses were protected by the anti-theft liquid SmartWater, 20 tonnes of rubbish were removed, 60 fire-safety checks were carried out and work was done with 850 children.
Now Alan Given, chief executive of Nottingham Crime and Drugs Partnership, says they have no intention of stopping the initiatives in the area governed by Nottingham City Council, which includes Bulwell.
He said: "There is a long-term commitment to weeks of action in Nottingham. They have produced proven results and local people like them.
"We are now running them every month rather than every six weeks. We get more demands for weeks of action than we can cope with.
"We have now got far more involvement from tenants and residents associations and other important community groups. They realise we are not there to make life difficult for them."
A key weapon during weeks of action has been the use of SmartWater – a liquid that can be daubed on valuable items and contains a unique code that can be checked by police. In turn, owners can be reunited with stolen property.
A quarter of burglary victims without any protection are likely to be targeted again, say police. For those who use SmartWater, the rate of being a repeat victim falls to just one per cent.
It is also believed that clean-ups during weeks of action increase the levels of respect for neighbourhoods.
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Weather for Hucknall
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 26 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North
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