Organised by Resolve, the UK’s leading ASB and community safety organisation, ASB Awareness Week features a series of events across the UK involving councils, police forces, housing associations, charities, community groups and sports clubs.
East Herts Council’s ASB officers teamed up with the police, Herts Fire & Rescue and local housing associations to visit towns and villages across East Herts to speak to residents about their experiences. Residents were encouraged to take part in a short online survey which will help the council identify local concerns.
ASB relates to a wide range of behaviours which can blight the quality of life of individuals, families and communities. It includes excess noise, vandalism, neighbour disputes, fly tipping and abandoned or nuisance vehicles. Members of the public should report ASB to the anti-social behaviour team at East Herts Council via the council’s website, or report it directly to the police if they feel they are at immediate risk or danger.
Councillor Mione Goldspink, East Herts Executive member for Neighbourhoods, joined Herts Police, Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue, Network Homes and council community safety officers in Sele Farm, Hertford on Thursday (6 July). She said: ‘ASB can have a profound impact on the lives of those affected by it. Feedback from residents is vital to ensure that the agencies involved understand the issues which matter most to the people of East Herts. By encouraging our residents to report ASB, we will be better placed to keep people safe and support those affected by it.’
East Herts Chief Inspector, Dave Cooke, added: ‘While anti-social behaviour is not always a crime, it can have a severe impact on people’s lives and on communities. It can also be associated with criminal activity such as illegal drug use. We take reports very seriously and are committed to working with the public and partners to tackle it.’
Rebecca Bryant OBE, Chief Executive of Resolve said: ‘ASB is not low-level. It can have a devastating and long-lasting impact on the lives of victims and communities and can be a precursor to more serious crime. It is important that the challenge of ASB continues to be given the priority it needs so that people everywhere feel safe in their homes and communities.’
Recent YouGov research commissioned by Resolve found that almost 1 in 5 people have considered moving home because of the impact ASB was having on them; 1 in 10 have actually moved. Despite this, over half of those surveyed who were either a victim or a witness of ASB did not report it.
For more information about ASB Awareness Week, visit Resolve.
