Newmarket – initiative to locate and root out criminal activity

Partners including police, local councils and schools recently met to launch an initiative that looks to locate, root out and keep out criminal activity and anti-social behaviour in Newmarket.

Newmarket Together is the name given to a project run in partnership by Suffolk Constabulary, West Suffolk Council and Suffolk County Council, alongside other local organisations, which follows the three-phase Clear, Hold, Build initiative developed by the Home Office.

The initiative uses problem solving and evidence-based approach to tackle crime. Following a partnership approach, it is designed to reduce serious and organised crime and the harm it causes in communities.

The approach brings together the public, private and voluntary sectors and puts the community at the centre of the response. It ensures a unified and joint approach to make the community safer.

Phase 1 – targeted activity and crime disruption.

Phase 2 – stabilising the area to stop criminals moving in to fill the void.

Phase 3 – community-driven action to address the causes of criminality and prevent it from happening again.

These types of projects have been running across the country and initiatives have been shown to reduce crime and violence, improve partnership work and community relationships and also reduce anti-social behaviour. Similar projects will be initiated in identified areas across Suffolk in the future.

Forest Heath Locality Inspector Tim Scott, said: “The idea is to tackle criminality in Newmarket and to improve the lives of all members of our community

“Newmarket Together has seen organised criminals and their associates cleared from the area through relentless multi-agency enforcement activity”

“The area will now be stabilised and enhanced through high-visibility police patrols, assistance from partner agencies and community support.

“The enforcement activity, which focuses on organised drugs supply and associated exploitation, has been taking place since September last year and has seen 36 individuals arrested for drugs supply offences. Many of these individuals have gone on to receive custodial sentences.

“Newmarket Together is different from what we’ve done before because it has a much greater focus on the medium and long term, working with our partners to ensure problems caused by crime and a perceived lack of support do not simply start again.”

Officers from Suffolk Constabulary met with partners at Newmarket Academy on 4 February to discuss the initiative. Discussions included the work already conducted in the first enforcement phase, as well as plans going forward in the next two stages.

These focussed on how police and partners could work together to best benefit the town through the hold and then build stages.  

Future plans will look to bring the community of Newmarket together by forming groups under the themes of youth work, family support and thriving cohesive communities. The objectives of these groups will be to improve health and wellbeing of residents, improving access to services, developing community-based initiatives and ultimately keeping criminals out of the area.

Insp Scott said: “We now need to build on our success to keep crime out by making our town inhospitable to criminality and developing a thriving community where people feel safe, vulnerable people are supported and health and wellbeing are improved. This will only be achieved by everyone working together.”

Chief Inspector Andy Pursehouse added: “Many partners came together to understand the nature of the project before breaking into three groups to discuss building thriving communities, supporting families and discussing opportunities to improve youth provision and support in the town.

“There was a lot of energy and support with some great ideas of how partners can work together more effectively to improve the community for everyone.

“Going forward there will be further development work on the three areas, while officers will continue to ensure criminality is targeted.”

Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore said: “I welcome the expansion of this innovative partnership approach to community safety. Clear, Hold, Build brings together a whole community to tackle issues within a designated area. It is already up and running in Felixstowe and has proved successful in reducing crime and anti-social behaviour.

“Newmarket is an important town for the Suffolk economy and welcomes visitors from all over the world for the horse-racing, so I am very pleased to see this additional focus in the area.

“For this scheme to be successful it will rely on everyone pulling together and providing support for the great work delivered by charities and voluntary groups. This is where the crime disorder and reduction grants awarded by my office have great potential to help deliver long term positive results.”

Councillor Donna Higgins, Cabinet Member for Families and Communities at West Suffolk Council, said: “Newmarket Together is about people in the town as well as the various partner organisations all working collaboratively toward the common aim of strong and safe, thriving communities.

“It is listening to and working with our communities in the town, and about early intervention and prevention through youth work, family support and more to make life better for all of our residents in the town. It’s building on the targeted work by police to try to sustain the recent success in tackling and disrupting crime in the town which can only happen if we all work in Newmarket together.”

Councillor Philip Faircloth-Mutton, Suffolk County Council Cabinet Member for Environment, Communities and Equality, said: “Newmarket Together is a fantastic opportunity to strengthen our existing partnerships with key stakeholders, grassroots organisations, and local communities. By working together in collaboration, we can empower neighbourhoods and create a shared sense of responsibility for ensuring safer, more resilient communities.

“This initiative is about not only addressing the immediate challenges but also building long-term solutions that will benefit everyone in Newmarket.”