Reading Community Safety Partnership Shows Support For ASB Awareness Week 2023

READING'S Community Safety Partnership is endorsing a national campaign to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) and keep people in Reading safe.

Running from Monday 3 July to Sunday 9 July, ASB Awareness Week 2023 aims to encourage communities to take a stand against anti-social behaviour and highlight the actions that can be taken by those experiencing it. 

To mark the return of ASB Awareness Week for 2023, Reading’s Community Safety Partnership will be launching new material and a website over the coming weeks and months to help those affected by anti-social behaviour living in Reading, promoting a more victim-centred approach to tackling ASB. 

This includes a promotion of the Community Trigger. The Right to Review – or Community Trigger – is designed to empower victims to bring agencies together to commit to purposeful action to bring an end to repeated ASB. It is any person’s right to ask the Council, police or housing provider to look again at reported cases of anti-social behaviour where it is considered by the victim that no resolution has been found. Agencies will then come together to relook at the case and support victims to resolve complex issues of ASB. Reading residents can visit the Civic Offices between 1pm and 4pm on Wednesday 5 July to find out how they can go about actioning this.

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.

Recent YouGov research commissioned by Resolve found that nationally almost 1 in 5 people have had to consider moving home because of the impact ASB was having on them and 1 in 10 have actually moved. Despite this, over half of those surveyed who were either a victim or witness of ASB did not report it.

Reading’s Community Safety Partnership is urging members of the public not to suffer in silence if they experience ASB. Incidents can be reported to the anti-social behaviour team at the local Council, or to the Police if people feel that they are at immediate risk or in danger.

A series of engagement events will be running during the week which will be a chance for members of the public to meet with officers from Reading Borough Council and Thames Valley Police and discuss their concerns about ASB where they live. These include:

• Monday 3 July, 10.30am – 1pm

Have Your Say event at Lyndhurst Road Community Centre

• Tuesday 4 July, 9am – 11am

Have Your Say event at PBM Property Management Office, Kennet Island

• Wednesday 5 July, 1pm – 4pm

Right to Review surgery at the Council Offices in Bridge Street

• Wednesday 5 July, 6.30pm – 8.30pm

Safer Reading Neighbourhood Forum in Council Offices Committee Room

• Thursday 6 July, 2pm – 4pm

Have Your Say event at Coley Community Centre

• Friday 7 July, 10am – 12pm

Have Your Say event at Battle Library

Councillor Karen Rowland, Lead Member for Community Safety at Reading Borough Council said:

“It is really important that people do voice their concerns and report anti-social behaviour, so we can help them directly and also so together we can make Reading a better place to live. We seek to clamp down on those who cause issues within our communities and we want to empower our residents to know their rights and how to act upon them so they don’t suffer in silence. The Community Trigger is a key component to getting needed resolution for residents”.

“Empowering residents is an important part of our victim-centred approach, and that’s why on Wednesday 5 July from 1pm to 4pm officers from the council will be available at the Civic Offices for anyone who wants to enquire about how they ask for a Right to Review in a safe and confidential space. No appointment is needed.”

Reading Local Area Policing Commander, Superintendent Steve Raffield said:

“Anti-social behaviour and the impact upon residents and communities is something we take extremely seriously. We understand the effect on people’s lives. Our Community Safety Partnership will have a particular focus on ASB this year and we will be looking to identify those hot spots where the impact is felt the most and bring all of our partners together to put solutions in place.

“As the local Police Commander I am particularly keen to be able to tell our Reading residents what we have done to address the concerns they have and to report back our progress. ASB Awareness Week gives us a chance to really promote some of the services available and to co-ordinate our resources.”

Rebecca Bryant OBE, Chief Executive of Resolve added:

“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.  

“We are delighted that Reading’s Community Safety Partnership is supporting this hugely important campaign. It is vital to develop partnership approaches across communities to deal with the growing challenges around ASB.”

For more information about ASB Awareness Week visit www.resolveuk.org.uk