News Meet the MBC Community Protection Team
Come along to Jubilee Square on Thursday 21 July between 10am and 12noon to meet the Maidstone Borough Council Community Protection Team and The Police and hear what they are doing to make the borough a safe place to live and work in.
All part of a week-long national campaign to raise awareness of antisocial behaviour Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) Community Protection Team is working to stop it becoming a bigger problem and let people know what they can do if they experience it.
Antisocial behaviour (ASB) is not a low-level crime. It devastates communities and has a profound effect on victims. It could be anything from rowdy groups causing a nuisance, graffiti, unruly and noisy neighbours to businesses selling illegal products, anything which has a damaging effect on those living nearby.
The team deal daily with reports of anti-social behaviour and look into each matter. Recently tackling a group riding off road bikes on private land, where both the landowner and riders were issued with warnings and potential fines.
Police Officers from the Maidstone Town Centre Task Force work closely with MBC Officers and have recently helped resolve an issue in Brenchley Gardens where there were reports of ASB and misuse of drugs and alcohol blighting the park. The issues have improved significantly and local schools are returning to use the park for school activities again.
The team also take enforcement action against anti-social neighbours or may need to exclude individuals from specific areas where they persistently cause problems as well as challenging businesses to take steps to reduce and stop attracting ASB.
Cllr Lottie Parfitt-Reid, MBC Lead Member for Communities and Engagement said:
“I’m delighted to see that the collaborative working between our Community Protection Team and Kent Police is starting to yield some really positive results. Antisocial behaviour can affect all of us but by working together and listening to the concerns of residents we will make our borough a safer place for all.”
Recent YouGov research commissioned by Resolve found that more than half of people (56%) believe that ‘more needs to be done’ to tackle ASB in their community. However, after they witnessed or experienced ASB, a similar proportion of the public (57%) said that they did not report it to anyone.
The Council is urging members of the public not to suffer in silence if they experience ASB. Incidents can be reported to the MBC Community Protection Team online at www.maidstone.gov.uk ‘report anti-social behaviour’ or to the Police if people feel that they are at immediate risk or in danger.
Rebecca Bryant OBE, Chief Executive of Resolve added:
“ASB is not low-level crime. It can have a 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 Maidstone Borough Council is supporting this hugely important campaign. It is vital to develop partnership approaches across communities to deal with the growing challenges around ASB.”
Organised by Resolve, the UK’s leading ASB and community safety organisation, the week features a series of events all across the UK involving many different organisations.
For more information about ASB Awareness Week – visit www.resolveuk.org.uk/asbawarenessweek