A report being considered by Colchester City Council's Crime and Disorder Committee on 20 October highlights the work already taking place across the city to help keep communities safe and support local businesses.
The report reviews the impact of Essex County Council's Operation Vanguard pilot and how it fits alongside the existing community safety services already operating in Colchester.
Councillor Paul Dundas, Leader of Colchester City Council, said: "Residents rightly want to feel safe in their neighbourhoods and our city centre, and that is something we work on every day with our partners.
"Long before Operation Vanguard was launched, Colchester had strong arrangements in place through our Community Safety Partnership, City Centre Wardens, Essex Police, businesses and community organisations.
"Those partnerships continue to do a huge amount of work behind the scenes to tackle issues such as anti-social behaviour, support vulnerable people and respond to concerns raised by residents. The Community Safety Partnership's work combines enforcement, prevention, education, safeguarding and support, recognising that community safety involves much more than visible patrols alone."
Looking at the evidence
Operation Vanguard was introduced by Essex County Council in September as a three-month pilot in Colchester, Chelmsford and Braintree.
While the initiative has increased the visible patrol presence in parts of the city centre, the report concludes that it is still too early to assess its overall effectiveness or longer-term impact.
Cllr David King, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Local Government Reorganisation, Communities and Public Protection, said: "The report highlights that Colchester remains below the Essex average crime rate and that many of the issues we see in the city centre are already well understood by local partners.
“What matters most is that residents see action on the issues that affect their daily lives. Our wardens, community safety teams and partners are already working together to tackle concerns, support businesses and help make Colchester a safe and welcoming place. This year alone, 1,605 pupils from 35 schools took part in Crucial Crew and more than 1,000 young people engaged with Youth Fest. The safety of women and girls remains a priority, with partners continuing to support initiatives that improve safety, reporting routes and support across Colchester. Work also continues to challenge hate crime, support victims and encourage reporting across local communities.
"This report shows that those local arrangements remain strong and continue to be the foundation of our approach to community safety."
Ongoing review
The Crime and Disorder Committee will consider the report on 20 October. Members will review the information currently available from the pilot while continuing to monitor local community safety issues through the established partnership arrangements already operating across the city.