Those figures describe overall crime reductions; they do not, on their own, tell us which offences changed or how every street experienced the programmes.
For residents in Grimsby, Cleethorpes and Immingham, the practical questions are more local: does a particular measure apply to this address, where can someone report a concern, and how can residents contribute to decisions about future priorities? The answers run through ward-based funding, property security, reporting channels, personal safety tools and the consultation process.
Evaluating local safety: lessons from West and East Marsh
West Marsh received £432,000 through Safer Streets 2, announced in June 2021, alongside a £20,000 West Marsh Wallet for community-led projects. The programme concluded in March 2022. Recorded outcomes included a 21% reduction in crime and a 29% reduction in anti-social behaviour.
East Marsh followed with a £749,500 allocation announced in September 2022. Free home security reviews began rolling out in November of that year. Recorded outcomes included a 23% reduction in crime and a 27% reduction in anti-social behaviour.
The programmes differed in scope and design, but both drew on a familiar set of prevention measures: physical security improvements, alley gating, CCTV in identified hot spots, better street lighting, coordination between police and council, and community engagement. The figures give a useful account of change across the programmes. They should not be stretched into claims about a specific offence or a particular household’s experience.
| Measure | West Marsh (Safer Streets 2) | East Marsh |
|---|---|---|
| Home Office funding | £432,000 | £749,500 |
| Community funding | £20,000 West Marsh Wallet | Not separately disclosed |
| Programme timing | Announced June 2021; concluded March 2022 | Funding announced September 2022; reviews began November 2022 |
| Recorded crime reduction | 21% | 23% |
| Recorded anti-social behaviour reduction | 29% | 27% |
| Delivery detail | Multi-agency programme | Empower CIC delivered home security reviews |
The important distinction for anyone outside these wards is that the funding was targeted rather than borough-wide. An address in North East Lincolnshire does not automatically fall within a Safer Streets intervention area. Check current council and Community Safety Partnership information for the details of any active offer, including its geographic limits and eligibility. Where a programme has ended, its results may still be informative, but they do not guarantee that the same service is available now.
It is also worth separating area-level outcomes from individual support. A recorded reduction across a ward is not a promise that a particular street has received new lighting, or that a particular resident can book a free assessment. For that, the specific programme and its current scope matter.
Securing your property: the Secured by Design standard
In East Marsh, free home security assessments were delivered through Empower Community Interest Company. The assessments used Secured by Design, a police security initiative concerned with building design and physical security.
An assessment can look at the property as a whole rather than treating a lock or alarm as a complete solution. Entry points, visibility, lighting and the way someone approaches the home all affect how security measures work together. Depending on the property and the programme, relevant features may include:
- Door and window locks suited to the doors and windows fitted.
- Lighting around entrances and access routes.
- Visibility at the front, rear and side of the property.
- Alarm systems or domestic CCTV where appropriate.
Secured by Design is a useful reference point when discussing products and security improvements. It does not mean every household needs the same package, nor does a general checklist replace advice from a qualified assessor. A door, frame and lock work as a system; upgrading one part while overlooking a weak frame or an exposed side entrance can leave the wider vulnerability untouched.
A practical walkthrough at home
Even when a free assessment is not available, a resident can make a first pass through the property. Start outside and look at the home as someone approaching it would, then check each potential entry point from both sides.
1. Work around every external door. Check that the lock operates properly and that the door and frame are in sound condition. If you are considering a replacement, ask a reputable locksmith or supplier about suitable security standards for that door rather than assuming one lock type fits all.
2. Check windows, especially those at ground level. Confirm that locks work and that windows are not routinely left unsecured where they are accessible from outside.
3. Look at the approach to the property. Consider whether entrances and paths are lit, whether side access is easy to reach unnoticed, and whether planting or stored items obstruct visibility.
4. Review any existing alarm or camera system. Make sure it is working as intended, positioned appropriately and used in a way that respects neighbours’ privacy.
5. Ask for a professional assessment if the weak point is unclear. A local security professional can help distinguish an effective improvement from an expensive feature that does little for the actual risk.
This is a starting point, not a claim about the exact checklist used in every local assessment. In a funded area, the programme provider can confirm whether a review is still offered, who qualifies and what it covers.
Good home security is not a shopping list. It is a series of connected decisions about entry points, visibility and how the property is used.
Reporting mechanisms: choosing the right channel
Humberside Police and other reporting services offer different routes for different situations. The key distinction is whether someone is in immediate danger, whether a police response is needed, and whether the information is about a crime or an environmental concern.
| Channel | Best suited to | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| 999 | Immediate danger or an emergency requiring police response | Emergency response |
| 101 | Non-emergency crime or information for the police | Police reporting and follow-up as appropriate |
| Crimestoppers, 0800 555 111 | Information about crime when the caller wants to remain anonymous | Anonymous information for law enforcement |
| StreetSafe | Concerns about places that feel unsafe, such as poor lighting or an unsafe route | Information that can help inform local safety planning; not an emergency response |
Call 999 when there is an immediate threat to life or an emergency. If speaking would put someone at risk, the silent-solution process may be available; follow the operator’s prompts. Do not rely on StreetSafe, an app or a later online report when urgent help is needed.
For a non-emergency crime or concern that needs police attention, use 101 or the reporting route provided by Humberside Police. Crimestoppers is a separate option for people who want to pass on information anonymously. It is not a substitute for an emergency call.
StreetSafe is intended for reporting environmental concerns, including places that feel unsafe because of features such as poor lighting. A submission does not dispatch officers to an emergency. Its value is as a way of drawing attention to conditions that may need to be considered by police or local partners.
A simple way to decide is to ask two questions: is anyone in immediate danger, and is the issue a crime or a feature of the environment? That keeps urgent incidents out of slower reporting routes and helps environmental concerns reach the channel intended for them.
Personal and public safety: regional support tools
Some safety needs sit between a police report and an emergency call. A person may need a discreet route to support, a way to alert trusted contacts while travelling, or a channel for flagging a place that feels unsafe. The tools below have different purposes; none should be treated as a replacement for emergency services.
Ask for ANI is a codeword scheme available through participating pharmacies. Someone experiencing domestic abuse can ask for ANI and be directed to a private space, where pharmacy staff can help them contact support services or the police. Availability depends on participating pharmacies, so it is worth checking locally before relying on a particular branch.
Hollie Guard is a personal safety app that can share a user’s location with chosen contacts and provide alert functions. It may be useful when someone wants a trusted person to know where they are during a journey. The app depends on the user’s phone and chosen contacts; it does not itself provide the same response as calling emergency services.
The right tool depends on the situation:
- A poorly lit path or unsafe public space can be reported through StreetSafe.
- Someone travelling alone may choose to share their location with trusted contacts using an app such as Hollie Guard.
- Someone experiencing domestic abuse can ask whether a local pharmacy participates in Ask for ANI.
- An immediate threat calls for 999, not an environmental report or an app alert.
Personal safety planning is strongest when it accounts for what each tool can and cannot do. A location-sharing app can keep a trusted contact informed, but that contact may not be able to intervene. A pharmacy scheme can offer a discreet starting point, but it is not available everywhere. Knowing the limits is part of using these options well.
Match the tool to the need: a place to report, a person to alert, or an emergency service to call. They are related, but they are not interchangeable.
Participating in strategic planning: the JSIA consultation process
North East Lincolnshire’s Community Safety Partnership conducts a Joint Strategic Intelligence Assessment, or JSIA, to inform local understanding of crime and community safety priorities. The process brings recorded information and residents’ perceptions into the same conversation. Those sources do not always point in the same direction: a neighbourhood’s recorded figures may not capture how safe people feel using a particular route or public space.
The 2026 consultation ran from March 25 to May 20, 2026, and is now closed. It should not be described as a current opportunity to submit a response. The consultation period is one stage in a wider planning process, and residents can look to the Community Safety Partnership for information about future consultation opportunities and published material.
During an open consultation, residents, community organisations and other local stakeholders can use the opportunity to describe concerns that may not be obvious in recorded crime data. Useful responses are specific: where a problem occurs, when it tends to happen, who is affected and what change might help. A report about a poorly lit cut-through, for instance, gives decision-makers a clearer lead than a general statement that an area feels unsafe.
That does not mean any one submission will determine a funding decision. Consultation is one input among others, alongside recorded information and the partnership’s assessment of local priorities. Its practical value is that it can bring lived experience into a process that might otherwise rely too heavily on incidents that have already been reported.
Residents who want to follow the process can check Community Safety Partnership updates for consultation dates, ways to respond and any material made available about the assessment. If the consultation is closed, the useful next step is to note a concern for the next suitable reporting or engagement route rather than treating an expired consultation as an active one.
What the local record can—and cannot—tell you
West Marsh and East Marsh show how targeted programmes can combine physical improvements, local coordination and community engagement, with reductions recorded in overall crime and anti-social behaviour. Those area-level results are worth taking seriously, but they are not a forecast for every street or a detailed account of every offence.
For a resident, the practical sequence is less dramatic and more useful: establish whether an address falls within a specific programme; ask what a security assessment includes; choose the right channel for a crime, an emergency or an environmental concern; and use personal safety tools with a clear understanding of their limits. For longer-term priorities, follow the Community Safety Partnership’s updates and take part when the next consultation opens.
Funding cycles end. Physical improvements need maintenance, and a security measure that was useful when installed may need attention later. The lesson from the local initiatives is not that one programme solves safety for good. It is that prevention depends on connecting practical changes in places and homes with reporting, resident knowledge and continued attention to what the evidence shows.