Anti-social behaviour has fallen by almost 15 per cent since the launch of Newcastle’s pioneering City Safe project.
Launched in May 2024 City Safe sees Northumbria Police officers, Newcastle City Council’s community safety team and NE1 street rangers patrolling from a base at City Library to tackle crime, reduce anti-social behaviour and provide increased access to support services.
And by the end of the April 2024 to March 2025 financial year, in the city centre:
- anti-social behaviour (ASB) was down 14.7 per cent
- alcohol related ASB was down by 33 per cent
- noise complaints were down 19 per cent
- begging reduced 5.6 per cent
- street drinking was down 10.5 per cent
- there’d been a 31.25 per cent drop in youth ASB on Northumberland Street
Cllr Irim Ali, Newcastle City Council’s Cabinet member for communities, said: “We know how important issues of crime and anti-social behaviour are to everyone, and the City Safe initiative shows the great positive impact authorities can have by working closely together to tackle the cause of those concerns.
“The partnership continues to go from strength to strength, making our city a more welcoming place to live, work and visit; and ensuring some of our most vulnerable citizens receive the help and support they need.”
Chief Superintendent Barrie Joisce, Northumbria Police’s area commander for Newcastle, said: “We’re proud of the progress the City Safe project has made and these excellent figures demonstrate what we’ve achieved since launching.
“The collaborative ongoing work is a model which is attracting national and international attention in how we deal with issues together for the benefit of residents and visitors.
“Please be aware that we’re determined to keep up our efforts in this area and ensure that the city centre remains the vibrant and welcoming place it is renowned for being.
“Thank you for your ongoing support and remember if you do need our assistance, contact us or approach one of the City Safe team while you’re out and about.”
Tariq Albassam, director of operations at NE1 Ltd said: “These results speak for themselves and demonstrate the hard work that has gone into the City Safe partnership.
“Businesses across Newcastle have welcomed the changes, reporting a noticeable drop in antisocial behaviour and crime.
“Our partnership approach is paying dividends. Taking a proactive approach to keeping the city safe is creating a more welcoming environment for residents, workers and visitors.
“Through our collaborative efforts, we have been able to identify patterns of behaviour and crime hotspots and now have the insight and tools to deal with issues proactively, which helps prevent crime before it happens.
“We’re proud of what has been achieved to date and look forward to building on these results in the future.”
What is City Safe?
The City Safe hub for the first time brought together representatives of Newcastle City Council, Northumbria Police and business improvement district NE1 in a single location on a day-to-day basis.
By co-locating it allowed information to be shared more easily, and for greater joint working to target problem areas and individuals, improving the city’s busiest streets for all.
Within its first six months it saw an 8 per cent fall in crime in the city centre, with an 11 per cent decrease in thefts, a 14 per cent reduction in violence that causes injury and a 27 per cent drop in vehicle crime.
Successes have included focussed work with at risk young people, helping to keep them safe, improve their behaviour, allowing them to re-engage with education, gain qualifications and support others in a similar situation.
The hub has also welcomed in representatives from the Probation Service, homelessness charity Changing Lives and other support services.
‘Definite improvement’ say businesses
Businesses have noted improvements because of the City Safe work, with retailers reporting a nicer environment for shopper and staff.
“Since the start of the City Safe project, there has been a definite improvement in how the on-street environment looks and feels,” said Vicky Field, store manager at Breitling, on Blackett Street.
“Anti-social behaviour has reduced in and around the Grey’s Monument area and my staff and I now feel safe and reassured by the positive action and engagement that the City Safe team has implemented.”
Jessica Hewitt, of opticians G.T. Harvey and Partners, on Saville Row, agreed.
“Since its inception we have had consistent support from the City Safe team,” she said.
“We have a direct telephone number to NE1’s Street Rangers in order that problems can be reported as they are happening and subsequently, they are dealt with immediately.
“The team consistently check in with us at the practice, and we finally feel the issues are being dealt with effectively. We continue to consistently rely on the services for support on a daily basis.”
Report a crime
To report a crime in the city centre speak to a uniformed patrol, contact Northumbria Police by direct message on social media, or by using the live chat function or report pages on their website.
For those unable to contact police in those ways, please call 101.
In an emergency, or if a crime is taking place, always dial 999.
More in latest
