Derry City Community Safety Warden Scheme gets funding - Ritchie

Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie visited the North West today and announced further funding of over £240,000 for a new citywide Community Safety Warden Scheme.

Attending the launch of the City Community Safety Warden Scheme, Margaret Ritchie said: "I want to improve the social conditions for the people who live in the most deprived areas of Derry City. This Community Safety Warden project will create safer environments and will target key areas of crime and anti-social behaviour. It will help to alleviate high levels of fear and insecurity within the local community. I welcome being to be able to support this scheme.”

Derry City Council has developed the scheme in partnership with the Department for Social Development; Police Service of Northern Ireland; Northern Ireland Housing Executive; Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service and Community Representatives. It aims to address issues of low level anti-social and nuisance behaviour in all of the Neighbourhood Renewal areas within the city.

The project will employ five Community Safety Wardens including a supervisor who will provide a high visibility presence in identified anti-social behaviour hotspot areas of the city. The wardens,who will work during the day, Monday to Wednesday and at night, Thursday to Sunday, will observe and report anti-social behaviour incidents. They will act as a point of contact for local residents on community safety issues and environmental health issues.

The Department for Social Development has provided Neighbourhood Renewal Investment Funding to support the salaries and associated costs for two of the Community Wardens up to 31 March 2011 at a cost of £74,202.

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