Drugs and anti-social driving major concerns for Arun residents

Arun District Council works in partnership with organisations, such as the police, to form the ‘Safer Arun Partnership’ (SAP). It aims to reduce harm from crime and anti-social behaviour and a recent survey highlighted the top concerns for residents.

Around 440 residents completed the survey, which ran from June 10 to July 17, but the majority hadn’t heard of the SAP. More than 350 claimed they had been a victim of crime in the last year and some said they had seen drugs openly being dealt and used on a daily basis.

Respondents said youth anti-social behaviour concerned them most, followed by speeding, drugs, and burglary. Anti-social driving was one of the major issues highlighted and the Arun and Chichester Road Safety Group could be reformed as a result.

The SAP says it will take ‘on the ground’ action to reduce demand for drugs and funding has been secured for youth outreach sessions in Littlehampton and Bognor Regis.

A ‘Joint Action Group’, has now been reinstated to identify and tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.

The issues were discussed during ADC’s housing and wellbeing committee on Thursday (6 October).

Council leader Shaun Gunner said some of the results were ‘worrying’.

“The perception of crime is substantially higher than the actual people who are experiencing it,” he said.

Mr Gunner said the Joint Action Group was not improving public confidence.

“Part of the role of the Safer Arun Partnership is to reduce crime,” he said. “I don’t know if people realise but crime is going up.

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“In Bognor Regis you are three times more likely to experience crime than if you lived in Burgess Hill.

“Not only do we have a higher crime rate than other parts of the county, but also our residents are substantially more concerned about crime than the actual reality they are experiencing.

“This is a real concern because we want people to be living in happy and safe neighbourhoods and we don’t want them to feel like they’re at risk of crime.”