A MULTI-agency approach is proving successful in tackling crime across Hambleton.

The year ahead looks promising for the Community Safety Partnership, with the launch of fresh ideas, campaigns and roadshows filling the diary.

Established in 1999, the partnership of Hambleton District Council, North Yorkshire County Council and North Yorkshire Police Authority aims to reduce crime and disorder in the district.

Drawing in other agencies to help with certain areas, the core partnership works to tackle six key issues:

* Fear of crime - to help residents rationalise their fears of all kinds of crime.

* Burglary - to target, reduce and sustain the reduction of burglary.

* Road safety - to improve road safety and motor vehicle crime with campaigns.

* Drugs and alcohol - to educate both parents and children and help people to notice signs of substance and alcohol abuse.

* Anti-social behaviour - to reduce instances of violence and vandalism by targeting problem areas.

* Young people - to involve youngsters in decision making and help reduce the numbers involved in crime.

Figures show that Hambleton is a relatively safe place to live, but Community Safety Manager Chris Fields said people's perceived fear of crime is a major issue.

Learning how to tackle the different areas successfully has been a gradual process and partnership chairman Dr David Smith said their ideals and objectives have changed dramatically over time.

"We found that residents of each market town had differing priorities when it came to tackling crime.

"We now work on a problem solving basis, whereby we tackle individual problems instead of taking an umbrella view across the district as a whole."

The problem-solving groups involve people from a wide range of agencies and local community groups to deal with the broad issues of crime.

Representatives from the police, fire and rescue, parish, district and county councils and community education work together.

"They analyse the problem from all aspects - the victims, the offenders and the location. No one agency can tackle some problems and so these meetings are vital to our work in crime reduction," said community safety officer Val Dodsworth.