Bike thefts and arson attacks in a part of Mansfield have seen a significant decrease since the neighbourhood has been the focus of a crime-cutting campaign.

New figures show the effectiveness of the Safer4All campaign on the Oak Tree Lane estate, where bicycle thefts and arsons between October 2022 and March 2023 both saw a 96% reduction compared with April 2022 to September 2022, and motorbike thefts saw an 80% reduction.

Mansfield District Council made a successful bid to the Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Safer4All (Target Hardening) funding. The council’s Community Safety team has since been working with Nottinghamshire Police and Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service to deliver an action plan to cut crime and anti-social behaviour on the estate.

It focused on distributing crime prevention measures, such as good quality bicycle locks, anti-theft kits for motorbikes, and a schools education programme.

The effectiveness of the campaign has been measured against crime figures in the previous six months before the campaign began, and against pre-Covid crime figures between April 2017 and March 2020.

Coun Angie Jackson, joint portfolio holder for Community Safety, Health and Wellbeing, said: “We are aware arson is more likely to happen in summer, so comparing the winter period against the summer should be done with caution.

“We will be watching the figures over the summer when we hope a new CCTV camera in the worst-affected area should act as a deterrent.

“However, at least some of this success can be attributed to the increased presence of the fire service, education work in schools, and the apprehension of offenders. We hope it has improved the quality of life for residents and is making the estate a better and safer place to live.”

Nottinghamshire PCC Caroline Henry said: “This action shows that we are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with residents and are tackling issues that were causing concern.”
Inspector Kylie Davies, district commander for Mansfield, said: “There is no such thing as a minor or less serious offence. If somebody’s motorbike is stolen or their bin is set on fire they can expect a very thorough police response.

“Prevention, however, is better than cure so I am delighted these measures appear to be paying off.”

Anyone with information about deliberate fire setting can call FireStoppers anonymously on 0800 169 5558. Anyone experiencing anti-social behaviour can report it at www.mansfield.gov.uk/report