City councillors have scrutinised a fresh three-year blueprint for tackling crime and anti-social behaviour across York, as the City of York Council moved to replace its outgoing community safety strategy. The draft Community Safety Strategy 2026-2029 was examined by the People Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday, 8 July, setting out how the Safer York Partnership will coordinate multi-agency efforts to keep the city safe.
The partnership – which brings together the council, North Yorkshire Police, fire, health, and probation services – has produced its tenth such strategy since its formation under the Crime & Disorder Act 1998. The document centres on four main priorities: Keeping the City Centre Safe, Counter-Terrorism, Safe Supported & Cohesive Communities, and Serious Violence, alongside cross-cutting themes of Young People and Communication & Engagement. During the lifetime of the outgoing 2023-26 strategy, crime reduced, with the most notable change being a 6.32 per cent fall (943 fewer offences) in 2025/26 compared to the previous year, though anti-social behaviour incidents climbed by 7.5 per cent between 2024/25 and 2025/26.
York welcomes over eight million visitors each year and consistently ranks as one of the UK’s safest cities. The new strategy acknowledges that status while pushing for a renewed focus on persistent prolific offenders in the city centre, online harms, County Lines exploitation, and extremist ideologies that affect young people. Its development is a statutory duty under the 1998 Act, and without it the council would be in breach of its legal obligations.
The committee’s feedback will now be passed to the council’s Executive for consideration before final adoption. Once approved, the strategy must be reviewed every year to ensure it keeps pace with shifting crime patterns and emerging threats. The Safer York Partnership Board meets quarterly, with sub-regional coordination across York and North Yorkshire through shared arrangements with North Yorkshire Council and the Combined Authority’s Police, Fire & Crime Directorate.
Day-to-day delivery relies on the York Community Safety Hub, which houses council anti-social behaviour and neighbourhood enforcement teams alongside a dedicated police unit. York also retains its Purple Flag status for a night-time economy that balances homes, businesses, and entertainment in a compact centre, supported by partners including York BID’s Street Rangers and Night Safe Officers.
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