General Council \ Community Safety Partnership

Newry and Mourne Community Safety Partnership

The Newry and Mourne Community Safety Partnership was formed in December 2004 following the Review of The Criminal Justice System in Northern Ireland (2000).

Following the appointment of a Community Safety Coordinator and the formation of the Community Safety Partnership an audit was undertaken of community safety issues across Newry and Mourne District in consultation with partner agencies and the community.

The Strategy, developed from the findings of the audit, is directing the work of the Community Safety Partnership.

From statistics gathered, Newry and Mourne is a relatively safe place to live, where overall crime rates for recorded crime were substantially lower than the Northern Ireland average.

The Chairman of the Newry and Mourne Community Safety Partnership is Councillor Issac Hanna and the partnership is based in the Council Offices, Monaghan Row, Newry.

The purpose of the Newry and Mourne Community Safety Partnership is to make Newry and Mourne a safer place for those who live, work and visit the area.

Our Priorities

There are nine key issues identified in the NI Community Safety Strategy:

• Car crime
• Domestic burglary
• Offences again individuals, particularly domestic violence and sexual assault
• Youth offending & reducing criminality
• Offences motivated by prejudice and hatred
• Drug, substance & alcohol abuse
• Anti-social behaviour and low-level neighbourhood disorder
• Fear of crime amongst older people, vulnerable adults and children

Priorities in the Newry and Mourne District are:

• Fear of crime amongst older people, vulnerable adults and children
• Offences again individuals, particularly domestic violence and sexual assault
• Drug, substance & alcohol abuse
• Anti-social behaviour and low-level neighbourhood disorder
• Youth offending & reducing criminality

What we are doing

We continue to

• support crime prevention measures
• develop and promote a Community Awareness campaign concentrating on high priority themes
• support local projects aimed at reducing the levels of violent crime

Initiatives include:

• Implementation of CCTV in Kilkeel, Warrenpoint and Newry
• Development of Community Television Network
• Stay Safe Stay Secure Project
• Neighbourhood Watch
• Home Safety Address Booklet
• Bogus Caller Training
• Drug Awareness/Anti spiking training
• Youth Diversionary Projects
• Prevention Training (Healthy relationships and bullying)
• Midnight soccer initiative
• Night time economy Group

The Partnership has a Strategic Tier and an Operational Tier with membership from the following organisations:

Southern Education & Library Board
Newry and Mourne Health & Social Services Trust
ROMAL
Kilkeel Development Association
Newry Chamber of Commerce and Trade
Newry City Centre Management
PSNI
Newry and Mourne District Council
Southern Investing for Health
Women’s Aid Resource Centre
Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE)
Federation of Community Groups
Probation Board for Northern Ireland
Translink
ROMAL
ROSA
Newry and Mourne Volunteer Bureau
Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service
Kilkeel Chamber of Commerce
Victim Support
Newry & Mourne Drug and Alcohol Partnership
Newry and District Community Services Council
The Drumalane/Quayside Development Partnership
Environmental Health Department
Newry and Mourne Senior Citizen’s Consortium

For more details on the work of the Community Safety Partnership contact:

Heather McKee
Community Safety Coordinator
Council Offices
O’Hagan House
Monaghan Row
Newry
BT35 8DJ
Tel: 028 3031 3031
Fax: 028 3031 3077
Email: heather.mckee@newryandmourne.gov.uk

NEWRY AND MOURNE COMMUNITY TELEVISION NETWORK

The Newry and Mourne Safety Television (CSTV) Network was launched in May 2006. The television network, developed by CCN, is a system that screens broadcast quality programming. A number of screens are located in the public arena and broadcast messages relating to a variety of community issues, both local and national campaigns and national news and weather reports. In Newry and Mourne these messages are shown on a continuous loop that is updated with new content on a regular basis.

Newry and Mourne Community Safety Partnership has used the screens successfully over the past 18 months to raise awareness of a variety of Community Safety issues, such as bogus callers, internet safety, neighbourhood watch etc.

The 10 screens in Newry and Mourne are located in the following venues:

LOCATION
Newry & Kilkeel FE Institute, Newry
Library, Newry
Deli Lites, Newry
Bus Station, Newry
Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry
Kilkeel PCT
Warrenpoint Library
Newtownhamilton Health Centre
Crossmaglen Health Centre
Sean Hollywood Arts Centre, Newry

The clips broadcast are changed every quarter. This information can also be viewed on the media player by clicking on the link below or on the left hand column above.