Nottingham City Council’s burglary reduction project has helped make 136 rented homes in the city safer since it started just over 18 months ago.
This has been achieved by not only making security improvements but also uncovering a range of problems from damp to fire hazards.
The council set up the project in August 2014 with Nottinghamshire Police to improve security in households that had been burgled, but inspections of the 136 homes visited so far have also revealed problems such as damp, cold conditions, poor electrical safety or inadequate fire protection. The council has been working with tenants, landlords and organisations such as Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service to deal with these problems as well as to install or repair security lights, locks, fences, windows and doors.
The project has been focusing on student properties in the Dunkirk and Lenton ward, with the help of the University of Nottingham, but has also helped families in rented homes across the city.
Councillor Nicola Heaton, Portfolio Holder for Community Services, said: “I am very impressed with the joined-up approach adopted by the project. Reducing burglaries across the city is a priority for the council, and it’s fantastic to see the police and university working with us to help local residents feel secure and safe in their homes.”
Environmental Health Officer Doreen Cunnington, who has carried out all the inspections, said: “Good security is about a combination of security measures appropriate to the location. We look at locks, lighting and fencing, among other things, working with tenants and landlords to raise security standards in rental accommodation.”
Neighbourhood Policing Inspector Rob Wilson said: “Nottinghamshire Police has been proactively working with our student community and universities for a number of years through Operation Graduate, which aims to reduce burglary. Dunkirk and Lenton are areas in which we have devoted much time and resources, along with partner agencies, to ensuring that the number of offences are reduced. But it hasn’t been those areas exclusively.
“Similar work, including property inspections, has taken place in Radford and other neighbourhoods. All of this is contributing to making Nottingham a safer city for our local residents and a more attractive place for young people to live and study.”
Melanie Futer, Manager for Off-Campus Student Affairs at The University Of Nottingham said: “The University works closely with its partners to ensure the safety of our students whilst they study here in Nottingham. This initiative is just one of the measures in place to ensure their safety, which we fully support. We know that students and landlords welcome and follow the advice given.”