Partners Day
Around 100 professionals got together to discuss crime, safety and community issues – at an event organised by the Canterbury Community Safety Partnership.
The Partners Day included representatives from the Canterbury Community Safety Unit, Canterbury City Council, Kent Police, Kent Fire and Rescue Service, Neighbourhood Watch, Crimestoppers, East Kent Housing, Kent Probation, Kent County Council, the NHS Eastern and Coastal, the Rising Sun Domestic Violence and Abuse Service, colleges, universities and many other organisations. Youth workers, Kent County Council Community Wardens, agencies who work with young families and the homeless, registered social landlords, local councillors and the Sheriff of Canterbury councillor Hazel McCabe also attended.
Issues discussed during the day included crime, policing, the role of new Police Crime Commissioners, communicating with young people and domestic abuse.
The event also included the inaugural Canterbury Community Safety Partnership Award for contribution towards partnership work, reducing crime and keeping communities safe. This was presented to Steve Mellers from Crimestoppers, by the deputy head of Neighborhood Services at Canterbury City Council Doug Rattray.
Steve is a county manager with Crimestoppers and has worked for the organisation for the past six years. He is a regular and active supporter of community safety events held in Canterbury, Whistable and Herne Bay. He works very closely with staff from the Canterbury Community Safety Unit in helping to plan and run events.
Before Crimestoppers Steve was the manager of Fairbridge Kent, an organisation which gave guidance and support to disadvantaged young people. In 2001 Steve was presented with the High Sheriff of Kent’s award and in 2003 he was awarded a MBE for his work with young people in Kent.
He said: “I was very pleased to win the Community Safety Partnership Award – and totally surprised. I do my best to support all of the partnership events. My role with Crimestoppers – and as a member of the partnership – is to look at what the problems are in Kent and to work with all crime fighting agencies, to make the public more aware and to give them an outlet to give information anonymously about crime and criminals if for some reason they cannot go to the authorities.”
Crimestoppers operates the 0800 555 111 hotline that can be used to pass on information about crime anonymously.
Doug Rattray (left) presents the award to Steve Mellers (right)
