Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs)
CSPs are a statutory requirement of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and bring together local partners (called ‘responsible authorities’) who are required to work together to formulate and deliver strategies to tackle crime and disorder in their communities. In Warwickshire the following bodies are the responsible authorities the constitute a CSP:
- The relevant district or borough council
- Warwickshire County Council
- Probation Service
- Chief Officer of Warwickshire Police
- Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Authority
- Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board (ICB)
The Police and Crime Commissioner is not a responsible authority under the Act, but has an important role in supporting the work of CSPs and assisting in the coordination of activity on cross-cutting issues and shared community safety priorities.
CSP’s are responsible for a geographic area no smaller than that of the relevant district or borough council. Two or more such areas can merge together to form a single CSP. In Warwickshire there are four CSP’s as follows:
- North Warwickshire CSP
- Nuneaton and Bedworth CSP
- Rugby CSP
- South Warwickshire CSP (combining Warwick District and Stratford upon Avon District)
Each CSP has its own ‘strategy group’, sometimes referred to as a ‘strategic board’ or ‘responsible authorities group’, which is attended by the Commissioner or Deputy along with a representative from their Office.
The Commissioner also supports the work of CSPs through the provision of funding that allows for crime prevention and diversionary interventions to take place. This is usually through the allocation of an annual grant, but also includes the Commissioner’s Office working closely with CSPs and responsible authorities to identify, bid for, and secure national funding to support local activity and initiatives.
Safer Warwickshire Partnership Board (SWPB)
In addition to CSPs, the Crime and Disorder Regulations require two-tier local authority areas to have in place a ‘county strategy group’. In Warwickshire this group is the Safer Warwickshire Partnership Board (SWPB), which is attended by the Commissioner, and representatives from their Office.
The statutory role of the county strategy group is to coordinate activity on cross-cutting issues affecting all CSP’s and the Regulations set out how this is to be achieved through the creation of a ‘community safety agreement’.
The Police and Crime Commissioner is not a responsible authority under the Act in relation to SWPB acting in its capacity as the county strategy group, but the commissioner and their Office have an important role in supporting the work of the board and assisting in the coordination of activity on shared community safety priorities.
