City Safe

A strategic priority for NE1 and the businesses it represents is the proactive management of the city centre’s on-street experience and ensuring that Newcastle is a safe and pleasant place to be.

Key Facts

11 additional police officers on the city streets

74 criminal and banning orders issued in 2024-25

15% drop in antisocial behaviour incidents

33% drop in alcohol-related disorder

In recent years, the rise in retail crime and low-level antisocial behaviour has been a key concern for businesses – a message which was strongly fed back during consultation ahead of our 2023 Renewal Ballot.

Taking action on this, in May 2024 NE1 worked with Northumbria Police and Newcastle City Council to create City Safe – a multi-agency partnership that tackles crime and anti-social behaviour in the city centre.

Supplemented by intelligence from NE1’s Business Crime Reduction Partnership, CCTV operative and Street Rangers team, City Safe works from a central hub in the heart of the city to ensure that resources are targeted where businesses need them most and prolific city centre offenders are effectively dealt with.

Since its formation, City Safe has delivered significant results with an additional 11 police patrolling the streets, 74 criminal and banning orders issued for repeat offenders in 2024-25, and a drop in antisocial behaviour by 15% and in alcohol-related disorder by 33%.

Due to this impact, several businesses - including Bank House and HMRC - have requested and received employee briefings from the City Safe team and the scheme was chosen to feature in a Channel 4 documentary series set to air in 2026.

For more information about City Safe, contact NE1’s Head of Operations Mark Sumner on 07843 704107 or email mark.sumner@newcastlene1ltd.com.

“Since the start of the City Safe project, there has been a definite improvement in how the on-street environment looks and feels. My staff and I now feel safe and reassured with the positive action and engagement that the City Safe team has implemented. Antisocial behaviour has massively reduced in and around the Grey’s Monument Area.”

Vicky Field

Breitling

“We first became part of the City Safe scheme amidst an influx of antisocial behaviour in our area, and the scheme gave us an effective way to report all of the incidents that had previously been ignored. NE1’s Street Rangers have been on hand ever since and this had made a massive difference to the staff who feel safer, and to our patients.”

Jessica Hewitt

G.T. Harvey & Partners

City Safe

Key Facts

National and International Work

NE1 CAN

Business Crime Reduction Partnership

Business Breakfasts