Doncaster residents asked to share their views on safety

Among other things, participants will be asked to share their experiences with crime and antisocial behaviour, identify which specific issues they believe are having the biggest impact on our city, and generally outline how secure they feel when out and about in Doncaster.

Speaking about this, Doncaster District Commander, Chief Superintendent Pete Thorp of South Yorkshire Police, said: “Working closely with City of Doncaster Council and other partners through the Safer Stronger Doncaster Partnership (SSDP) we have seen real change and improvements, such as the reduction in instances of most serious violence by 25% across the borough. 

“But it is important that we don’t just rely on our assumptions or data to tell us if things are improving or not. We collectively remain committed to tackling crime and anti-social behaviour throughout Doncaster and, as we prepare to refresh our community safety strategy, it’s important to us that the future direction and focus of our collective work is influenced and reflective of the concerns residents have.

"This consultation will allow us to effectively respond to residents’ concerns and ultimately, we hope that this will result in residents feeling and seeing positive change.”

Councillor Glyn Jones, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Safer Communities at City of Doncaster Council, added: “A number of organisations — including South Yorkshire Police and City of Doncaster Council — are working together to crack down on crime and improve community safety across Doncaster. During The Big City Conversation consultation last summer, residents highlighted safety as their number one concern. Significant headway has been made since then, particularly in the city centre where we have invested in more council patrols, new CCTV, and an increased police presence to make people feel safer.

 “There is still more to do, not just in the city centre, but across the whole of Doncaster and resident feedback will help us decide what we ought to prioritise in the future and how to best use our collective resources to improve safety for our city. I want to assure people that we will be listening attentively to what is said here so it’s important to fill in the survey and have your say. Together we can make our city a safer, more welcoming place.”

The Community Safety Consultation will close on Sunday 6 July. Members of the public can get involved by taking the online questionnaire. Once the survey fieldwork has closed, a series of face-to-face events will then be organised to explore the findings in greater detail.

To find out more about the work that is already being done to improve security in Doncaster, as part of the ongoing Safer City initiative, visit the Your Life Doncaster website.