The Government’s champion for safer communities has detailed what residents, businesses, local agencies and central Government can do to begin ‘a generational shift’ in the country’s approach to activism and tackling neighbourhood crime.
The report, entitled ‘Our Vision for Safe and Active Communities’, calls for a change of culture such that neighbourhoods no longer see crime, anti-social behaviour and general disorder as ‘someone else’s problem’.
Baroness Newlove also states that services should go beyond simply asking communities what their problems are, and see them as equal partners in resolving those issues.
Recommendations published in the new report include:
- community reward (where information provided by the community leads to a conviction, that community is then given a reward to spend on further crime prevention work)
- ‘Bling Back’ (where money made from selling local drug dealers’ assets is handed back to the neighbourhood they blighted)
- letting communities set their own local speed limits
- taking the recently introduced street-level crime maps to the next stage so people can use them to report crime and anti-social behaviour, and agencies can publish details of what action was taken against offenders
- giving the public a single point of contact through the roll out of the 101 number to report anti-social behaviour
- providing council tax rebates, or vouchers for local businesses and services, for people who take part in activism
- asking police and crime commissioners to commit at least 1% of their budget to grass roots community groups to use or have a say on
- encouraging public servants to go out into communities, volunteering their time and expertise to support local groups
- pooling agencies’ budgets, in turn affording communities a choice in how it is spent
- changing the ‘nine-to-five’ culture of local agencies so they are there to respond when people need them most
Reclaiming the streets
Speaking about the report, Baroness Newlove commented: “The difference in the quality of life between an active community that looks out for each other, especially the most vulnerable, and one that closes its front door and says it’s someone else’s problem is enormous.”
The Baroness continued: “For too long now, too many people have either not known how to get involved, have not been listened to when they have tried to speak out or simply felt that it wasn’t worth it as nothing would ever change.”
As far as the Baroness is concerned, this report sets out how change may be invoked by empowering local communities to reclaim their streets.
“Everyone has a role to play. Communities must begin to take more responsibility, and local agencies must begin to lessen their grip on the decision-making process. They need to trust the people they serve to solve problems for themselves.”
In the past six months, the Baroness has seen good people make a fantastic difference. “I know there is a big appetite out there for volunteering and making a real difference,” commented the Baroness.
“This report is written with them, and for them and to encourage others to follow us. Together, we can change the way we approach activism forever and build that happy, safe neighbourhood we all deserve to live in.”
Six months of intensive research
The report represents the culmination of six months of intensive work by Baroness Newlove following her appointment in October last year as champion for active safer communities.
During that time, the Baroness has visited local areas across the country, meeting with activists, police, local councils and housing associations to find out about different approaches.
She has also shared her four years’ experience as a successful community campaigner following the murder of her husband Garry in 2007 outside their home by a gang of youths.
Writing on her blog (which can be accessed via the dedicated link provided on the right hand panel of this page), Baroness Newlove has provided a helpful forum for people across the country to ask for advice and share their good work.
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