Road traffic accidents come within the remit of the Transport Group. For the present, the most useful work of the Community Safety Group is to concentrate on the reduction of the fears of crime and discrimination. These fears can arise from the increasing awareness of the prevalence of crime and other lawless behaviour, and from the feelings of some minority groups that their treatment by society amounts to unfair discrimination or persecution. There are a large number of agencies, some statutory, some voluntary, seeking to address the causes and results of criminal and lawless behaviour. It is likely that improved coordination between these bodies, with appropriate safeguards for confidentiality, would result in greater efficiency.
People feel vulnerable to persecution and discrimination.
The agencies involved can be poorly coordinated and some tend to prioritise reactive rather than proactive responses. Public perceptions are frequently based on inaccurate information. Other threats to personal safety need to be identified. The overall aim is to devise and to encourage the implementation of strategies and policies enabling people to live without undue fear whether in their homes or moving about the streets. Freedom from the fear of crime has traditionally been seen as the responsibility of the Police Service.