Website of the UK government

Community safety schemes

Local community safety schemes can involve many things, from parenting programmes, educational initiatives and mentoring programmes for young people; to changing the physical environment through urban design schemes, installing CCTV, and improving security with locks, bolts and alley gating.

Contact your council and speak to a crime prevention officer to find out about schemes that may already be operating in your area. You could also check the Crime Concern website for information about projects in England and Wales aimed at creating safer communities and ways you can help.

Neighbourhood Watch schemes play an important role in making your community a safer place to live in. The government's Anti-social Behaviour Action Plan also supports local agencies tackle the kind of problems which blight many communities. You can find the action plan on the Home Office website.

• Police Community Support Officers Opens new window
• Crime Concern website Opens new window
• Home Office Opens new window

Community safety in your area

The following links will let you enter details of where you live and then take you to your local authority website where you can find out more.

• Find out about community safety Opens new window
• Find out about alley gating Opens new window

Community safety law

The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 introduced measures that can be used by local people acting with the police to improve community safety. These include:

• Anti-social behaviour (Crime, justice and the law section)
• More about community safety law Opens new window

More useful links

• Bogus callers (crime, justice and the law section)
• Crime prevention (crime, justice and the law section)
• Victim support (crime, justice and the law section)
• Find your local police force Opens new window