Trevor Bevins, Local Democracy Reporter.
Almost a third of Dorset women say they feel unsafe, while nearly half avoid going out after dark and 10 per cent of teenage girls surveyed said they had missed school to escape sexual harassment.
“We like to think Dorset is safe – clearly there are areas where it isn’t,” Chickerell councillor Simon Clifford told Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting.
He called some of the figures “just appalling” and said domestic abuse in the county was 5 per cent above the national level.
“The Government thinks we don’t have social issues… it’s about time the Government recognised that Dorset is underfunded and under-recognised; It’s about time they realise that rural and urban authorities have different challenges, and they fund us appropriately,” said Cllr Clifford, the council’s finance portfolio holder.
He was speaking during a debate on the county’s annual community safety plan, which involves health services, police and other public bodies.
Weymouth councillor Matt Bell, who oversees the plan, said the county remained a safe place to live, work and visit despite the figures.
“But we must continue to work proactively to prevent harm, protect the vulnerable and support strong and resilient communities. This plan provides the partnership framework to do exactly that,” he said.
“We want the statistics behind this to improve but perhaps, most importantly, we want that sensation of safety to apply to all members of our community regardless of gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity or any other characteristic – the work is ongoing; this is not a document which says ‘we are done’, this is not the end point; this is something which continues.
“It’s a journey, it’s not going to improve overnight.”
Community safety service manager Andy Frost said the council had transformed some services and raised awareness of the problems, encouraging more people to report them.
Poundbury councillor Richard Biggs said he felt “absolutely powerless” dealing with anti-social behaviour in housing association properties because providers would not engage with him or other councillors.
But Graham Duggan, head of regulatory services, said officers had a strong and improving relationship with housing providers, particularly over repeat offenders.
The Cabinet backed the report, which will now go to the full council for approval.
