RISE project launched in North Lynn

We want to hear from people who live, work or study in North Lynn.

A new project has launched here and we’re keen to hear exactly what it is about the area that you think needs to be changed or improved.

For the past few months officers from Norfolk Constabulary and other local stakeholders have been leading a campaign called RISE in North Lynn. This involves reducing crime and anti-social behaviour, putting strategies in place to prevent those issues recurring and then working with partners to build the infrastructure and support networks needed to improve the area as a whole.

As part of this project we’ve been knocking on doors on some of the key streets in North Lynn over the past few weeks to hear directly from local residents. This has been hugely successful so far and we’re already starting to see some clear themes. However, we are aware that we may have missed some local residents and we also want to capture the voices of people who may be a part of the local community without living there.

If you live in North Lynn, you will get a leaflet through your door with a link to the survey.  If you’ve not had one, or simply cannot wait to complete the survey, you can visit The Beacon, Seabank Stores or Lynnsport to get a leaflet and fill in the survey. There is also an online version that can be completed here: RISE North Lynn Community Survey

Insp Ben Jarvis, Neighbourhoods Inspector for West Norfolk said: “We want this project to empower the residents of North Lynn, it will involve people who live, work and visit the area working alongside official partners to improve where they live. For this to happen we need to know what people want from where they live to ensure that the positive work carried out is genuinely needed and wanted, and that it remains part of the community for the long term.”

Schools have also been involved in the survey and pupils at various primary schools in the area have been giving us their views during dedicated sessions, and parents have been sent surveys home from the school. Detached youth workers in the area have also been working with teenagers, high school students and college students to gather their opinions.

Clear, Hold, Build

RISE is a Clear, Hold, Build project initially led by Norfolk Constabulary but supported by many partner agencies covering areas including the local authority, housing, health, education, employment and transport.

Clear, Hold, Build is a framework developed by the Home Office to help police forces tackle serious and organised crime. It reclaims and rebuilds neighbourhoods, works to make areas safer and increase public confidence in the police and partner agencies. The three phases of the model are described as:

Clear: Identifying and addressing immediate threats to community safety and security, often involving law enforcement and partner agency actions to remove or mitigate these threats.

Hold: Maintaining control and stability in the affected community, ensuring that the gains made during the ‘clear’ phase are not lost and preventing the resurgence of other threats.

Build: Implementing long-term solutions and community developments initiatives aimed at addressing underlying issues contributing to insecurity and crime.

North Lynn has been chosen as the first Clear, Hold, Build location in Norfolk as through data gathering and analysis it has been identified as being one of the more inactive and deprived areas of west Norfolk.

Work so far

Work has been on-going for several months across the area and the project officially launched in April 2024. You may have seen drugs warrants carried out at various address in the area, alongside publicised disruption targeting persistent criminality.

Clear phase results to date include-

• 50 arrests
• Tens of thousands of pounds of cash seized
• Thousands of pounds worth of drugs seized
• 300,000 illicit cigarettes seized.

Work to reduce anti-social behaviour has also featured over the past few months with several seizures of illegal motorbikes and electric bikes causing concerns around the area. You may have seen social media posts and court reports about recent successes in this area.

The Build stage has also started with strong partnership working going on with partner agencies such as the Borough Council, Alive, housing associations, health organisations, youth workers, schools and others. This has all been developed under the RISE banner which was created by North Lynn residents to reflect the local area. The Beacon Church has been a key part of this partnership effort hosting events such as weekly Pizza Projects for young people and becoming an essential community space.

Supt Sonia Humphreys, local policing commander for West Norfolk and Breckland said: “We started this work with a real hope that we would be able to bring partners and the community together to tackle the pressing issues that are impacting this area of King’s Lynn. We know that all the partner agencies have their part to play, but the people that will make the most difference are the people of North Lynn themselves.

“To be able to see the early affects and the ongoing community support that this way of working is having demonstrates how much more can be achieved when Police, Partners and the Community all work together”.