Council leads campaign for ASB awareness week

The borough council is working alongside Staffordshire Police and social landlord Aspire Housing this week to deliver themed events during national ASB Awareness Week which runs until Sunday, 24 November.

Organised by Resolve, the UK’s leading community safety organisation, the week aims to encourage communities to take a stand against anti-social behaviour and highlight the actions that can be taken by those experiencing it.

Anti-social behaviour is a broad term describing conduct that causes harassment, alarm or distress. It can include litter and vandalism, public drunkenness, aggressive dogs and noisy or abusive neighbours. The council works with partner agencies to deal with, and prevent, all forms through measures ranging from informal actions such as mediation, referrals to support services and warnings through to the use of legal powers via the courts.

Throughout this week, high-visibility patrols are taking place in known hotspots in Newcastle town centre, Chesterton and Kidsgrove. On Wednesday, a mobile police station is available in Kidsgrove as part of “Let's Talk ASB Day” so that residents can share any concerns they may have. The station is based at the Salvation Army in Chesterton on Thursday, “Community Heroes Day”, between 10am and 8pm.

The council recently launched a long-term Civic Pride campaign in response to feedback from residents who value the safety and cleanliness of the borough as well as a call to arms for everyone to play their part. It aims to boost pride in areas across the borough and strengthen Newcastle-under-Lyme’s reputation as a place which is clean, safe and friendly.

Cllr Gill Heesom, Cabinet member for Community Safety and Well-being, said:

The borough council works closely with partners throughout the year – particularly Staffordshire Police and Aspire Housing – to tackle anti-social behaviour and to ensure that residents and other stakeholders are healthy, happy and able to enjoy living in a safe environment, so it’s great to join forces again for ASB Awareness Week.

 

Anti-social behaviour, which can take many forms, is one of the council’s priorities as it causes misery and can have a serious impact on quality of life. We are committed to reducing it, in conjunction with partners, and subsequently providing safer, stronger and more resilient communities.”

YouGov research commissioned by Resolve found that almost one in five people have considered moving home because of anti-social behaviour; one in 10 have moved. Despite this, more than half of those surveyed who were either a victim or witness did not report it.

More information about anti-social behaviour, including how to report it, is available on Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council’s website.

Chief Inspector Laura Davies, from the Stoke North local policing team, leads on anti-social behaviour for the force. She said:

Anti-social behaviour can affect so many people in different ways. Tackling it effectively can only be done if police forces and local partners are working together each and every day to understand these issues properly and what can be done to stop them.

 

It’s really pleasing to see such a strong relationship in Staffordshire with local authorities and support agencies who are working as a team to tackle all manner of issues, from fly-tipping, drug use, noise complaints, to the highest level of organised crime.”

Simon Tagg, Leader of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, said:

My message to residents is do not suffer in silence if you’re experiencing anti-social behaviour – no-one should dread living in their own community.

 

We have a launched a Civic Pride campaign in response to concerns expressed by residents about safety and cleanliness in the borough.

 

Please do work with us and report incidents to the council, or to the police if people feel that they are at immediate risk or in danger.”

James Fullford, Head of Neighbourhoods at Aspire Housing, added:

We’re delighted to be supporting ASB Awareness Week as part of our ongoing commitment to improving the quality of our communities and making a positive contribution to the neighbourhood where our customers live.

 

Colleagues from our Neighbourhoods team will be working closely alongside our partnership organisations across the week to raise awareness as part of our commitment to tackle anti-social behaviour. We will be conducting walkabouts through areas of Newcastle-under-Lyme, taking part in community clean-up activities and providing more information on what we can do to support our customers.

 

We take anti-social behaviour very seriously at Aspire Housing. We encourage our customers to get in touch with us if they're experiencing any problems in their community. See it, report it, we'll action it.”