Community Safety Strategic Assessment

What is the CSSA?

The Crime and Disorder Regulations 2007 place a statutory duty on Community Safety Partnerships to prepare an annual CSSA. The CSSA provides partners with an understanding of the levels and patterns of crime, disorder and substance misuse in the county and local areas by providing statistical analysis and information about crime, changes and patterns over time and, where possible, explanations as to why these changes have occurred.  

The aim of the CSSA is to highlight the county’s priorities for the Safer and Stronger Thematic Partnership, the CSPs and other responsible authorities working together to tackle crime, disorder and substance misuse. The CSSA provides the evidence base for the development of Cumbria’s Community Safety Agreement by helping to identify and prioritise the resources and interventions required to combat crime and disorder.

What is included in the CSSA?

The CSSA gives a broad picture of Community Safety in Cumbria. Areas covered by the CSSA include crime and disorder, rates of reoffending, substance misuse, road traffic incidents and deliberate fires. In addition to analysing and presenting community safety data the CSSA gives an overview of the main experiences and concerns of local residents. The CSSA also draws upon relevant contextual information when it can help people understand patterns and levels of crime, disorder and substance misuse in the county.

How is the CSSA Structured?

The CSSA is made up of a County and six Districts Summary reports. These summaries draw on the information contained within the CSSA Technical Report.  The CSSA also includes a Community Safety Instant Atlas.