The Coventry Community Safety Partnership Plan 2025- 2028

Public place safety and reassurance is a key priority of the CCSP. It is essential to address issues that impact the daily lives of those living and working within Coventry, as people desire to feel secure in their communities.

According to our 2024 Crime Survey, residents indicated that ASB had increased over the past 12 months. They identified environmental ASB and general ASB as the most significant issues in their neighbourhoods, emphasising that addressing these should be a top priority for the CCSP. Furthermore, 43.8% of residents reported being victims or knowing victims of crime; however, 27.5% did not report these incidents to the police.

The survey also assessed perceptions of safety. While 60% of respondents felt safe during the day, there was a notable increase in feelings of insecurity during the evening, with 63.2% expressing concerns. Additionally, residents raised issues about safety in the city centre, both during the day and at night.

The One Coventry Plan prioritises the reduction of crime and disorder. It is essential to ensure we have secure neighbourhoods and a dynamic city centre that provides a safe environment both during the day and at night.

Under the Coventry Community Safety Partnership, the City Tasking Group is responsible for managing place-based issues within Coventry. The partners within the group work collaboratively, using problem-solving methods to effectively utilise each partner's resources in addressing issues of crime and ASB. The group also monitors the effective use of powers to tackle ASB introduced through Public Spaces Protection Orders within the city.

A significant challenge to the group is the demand and resource. The group have been tackling these issues through the effective use of operations. These are regionally led through the OPPC or locally led through West Midlands Police. Operation Advance is a force-wide initiative in the West Midlands where police and partners work together to deliver a 24 hours of intensive policing operations.

ASB within the city centre has been a key concern raised by both partners and the public. In response, a dedicated City Centre Partnership Group has been established. This group collaborates to address prolific offenders, working closely with drug and alcohol support services and implementing interventions, including enforcement measures such as fines, penalties, or legal actions to deter and address such behaviour.

CCSP also priorities safety within the night-time economy. The Coventry Nighttime Economy Steering Group oversees and coordinates a partnership approach to the tactical delivery of initiatives that support strategic priorities such as preventing violence, reducing harm, and curbing ASB. Over the past five years, the group has set a key goal of ensuring a safe and healthy night out through key initiatives, including the Best Bar None and Ask Angela schemes. The group aims to continue this work while also striving to obtain Purple Flag status, an accredited scheme that recognises excellence in managing the nighttime economy.

The CCSP also recognise that a significant root to ASB and crime is in underlying drug and alcohol addiction. We therefore recognise the importance of connecting with Coventry’s Drug and Alcohol Strategy

Public place safety and reassurance (key achievements)

• Key initiatives have been introduced into night time venues in the city such Best Bar None and Ask Angela.
• Successful initiatives on drinking spike campaigns
• The continued support of the Street Pastors programme to support safety in the nighttime economy.
• Successes of joint partnership initiatives to deal with derelict and abandoned properties.
• Renewal of Citywide PSPO to bring in measures to control public space drinking and off-road motorbikes. 
• Operation Eternity and Guardian have been implemented to tackle ASB hotspots within the city. 
• Police operations have been used to bring intensive patrol resources together to reduce crime.

Public place safety and reassurance (summary of the issues)

• Theft from Shops was second highest offence in total recorded crime. This has increased by 44.5%
• Overall there was a 22.6% increase in ASB last year. This was made up of 67% nuisance, 18% Environmental and 15% personal.
• St Michaels neighbourhood saw the highest level of ASB incidents (21.3%)
• Fly tipping has decreased by 13.5%. 24% of fly tipping occurs in Foleshill.
• There were 30,376 offences with a recorded victim. 48.0% of alcohol related incidents took place in the Night Time Economy (NTE) hours. Females were slightly higher than males (53.2%) The age with the highest incidents were female 35-39 years old and males 30-34 years old.
• This year there has been a decrease of drug offences in Coventry (14.8%). St Michaels ward was the highest 41%. 64.2% of offences in the city centre is possession of drugs and 35.7% were ‘Possession with intent to sell.  

What you are telling us

• 63.2% disagreed when asked if they felt safe at night.
• 64% felt that ASB had increased.
• 51.52% of residents do not go into the city centre during the daytime and 83% at night. A significant reason is that they do not feel safe.
• The top three priorities were Environmental ASB, ASB and motor vehicle/theft. 
• 43.8% said they had been a victim of crime.
• 27.5% didn’t report this to be police. 58.9% of which felt nothing would happen if they reported it.
• Residents want more high-visibility patrols by police or wardens. More enforcement against ASB and crime.
• There was a call for more Neighbourhood Watch schemes.
• Residents want more guidance on reporting crime and more information on action taken against crime

How we will respond

Evening and Nighttime Economy Strategy to be developed and consulted on that will provide the framework to achieving a safe and thriving night life in Coventry. Obtaining Purple Flag status will support a safe and thriving night life in Coventry.

We will use partners collective powers to respond to ASB. This will be focussed on areas causing the most demand. We will use a problem-solving approach so our police and partners resources can be used in the most effective way.

We will work with communities to enable them to regularly meet with their local policing team and other local partners so that they can raise questions and issues of community issues, find about partner priorities and receive information on what action has been taken in their areas.