The Safer Communities Awareness Week (16 – 20 September 2024), organised by the Wales Safer Communities Network, raises the profile of community safety and highlights the partnership work that is taking place across Wales.
Everyone is entitled to live in a safe community, and it is a collective responsibility to deliver this. This encompasses the police, fire and rescue, local authorities, health services, third sector and private sector organisations as well as local, Welsh and UK Governments.
The Network brings together practitioners from these organisations to share information and best practices to foster safer communities for the citizens of Wales.
The Awareness Week will include a number of Lunch and Learn online sessions and in-person events. The sessions will be led by various partners of the Network and will showcase good practices that are taking place across Wales.
This includes hosting a hackathon event to look at the challenges that synthetic opioids pose and the growing impact on communities in Wales. It will also spotlight the winners of last year’s Safer Communities Awards, North Wales Police Central Area Priority Crime Team for their operation investigating county lines exploitation of a young person.
Mark Brace, Head of the Wales Safer Communities Network said:
“It is vital that community safety issues are tackled in partnership. In Wales we have a strong collective approach to public service work. This week elevates the profile of community safety, supports colleagues working in community safety and highlights our shared responsibility to the varying communities across Wales.”
It’s not too late to sign up to attend the sessions and share the messages of the Awareness Week in your local area. Find out more about how you and your organisation can get involved here.