Horsham District Community Safety Partnership

Emergency Text Service - 65999

Sussex Police provide a mobile phone Text Service for people who are deaf, speech impaired and for people who cannot use a voice telephone.

To use the 65999 number simply state whether the emergency service required is 'police', 'fire', 'ambulance' or 'coastguard' by typing the relevant word. Then type details of the nature of the emergency, along with the exact location, and send the message to 65999.

The message is then sent to Sussex Police Control, who deal with the request on behalf of the emergency services. As soon as they receive the text, Police Control reply to confirm that they've received the message and may ask more questions.

When texting the Emergency Controller, remember:

What?  What is the problem

Which?  Need Police/Fire Rescue/Ambulance/Coastguard

Where?  Give name of road and town, plus any other relevant information such as:
- house number
- outside Post Office
- near Bus Station.

IMPORTANT: Also try other ways to contact the emergency services as text messages are not guaranteed to arrive quickly.

Typetalk Emergency Line:

For deaf people and speech impaired people 18000

What is Communty Safety?

'The protection of everyone’s right to live without fear for their and other peoples safety' - National Community Safety Network definition.

‘Community Safety' is a complex issue. It is an outcome rather than a service, although it is strongly influenced by the quality of service delivery. Community safety relates to people’s sense of personal security and to their feelings of ease in the places that they live, work or spend leisure time. It affects how people value their neighbourhood, and is a major part of what makes a neighbourhood a good or bad place to live’ - Community Safety Partnerships – Audit Commission 2002.

 What has community safety got to do with the Council?

The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 placed a statutory duty on Horsham District and West Sussex County Councils, Sussex Police, Sussex Police Authority, West Sussex Primary Care Trust, West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service and Saxon Weald to work together to produce a Community Safety Partnership Plan. The current plan covers the Horsham District Council area for a three year period until April 2011.

In practice Police, partners and Councils have been working together for many years, the Act however formalised those arrangements. The Act also recognised that safer communities cannot be delivered without the practical support of the community. The Strategy therefore involves partners from many agencies; public, private and voluntary; who work together to ensure Horsham District remains a safer place to be. The public are also consulted through the Audit process and their views, fears and perceptions have been taken into account in developing the plan. The partnership is known as the Horsham District Community Safety Partnership (HDCSP).

Parish and Town Councils also have a duty to consider the impact of all their functions and decisions on crime and disorder in their local area.

The Directorate of Community Services has corporate responsibility for Community Safety.

Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998

‘Without prejudice to any other obligation imposed on it, it shall be the duty of each authority to which this section applies to exercise its various functions with due regard to the likely effect of the exercise of those functions on, and the need to do all that it reasonably can to prevent, crime and disorder in its area including anti-social behaviour, substance misuse and other behaviour adversely affecting the local environment.’