Blaenau Gwent Anti-Social Behaviour Task Force has won a Wales Safer Communities Award for its innovative partnership work in supporting communities with anti-social behaviour concerns.
The Task Force was established in February by partners Blaenau Gwent Council, Gwent Police, Tai Calon Community Housing and Blaenau Gwent Youth Service. Through the Council’s public engagement programme, Talk2gether, the Task Force was able to meet with residents and businesses to hear their concerns about their communities, enabling partners to work together to identify hotspot areas and offer support and advice about reporting and recording problem behaviour.
The Task Force is delighted to be the winner of the Anti-Social Behaviour category at the Wales Safer Communities Awards ceremony in Wrexham. The awards are held every year to recognise outstanding contributions to community safety from individuals, organisations or partnerships across the public, private and third sectors. Entries had been reviewed by an awards panel made up of Welsh Government, the Welsh Local Government Association, Policing in Wales and the Wales Safer Communities Network.
The Awards ceremony provided a spotlight for awardees, colleagues and wider community safety professionals and recognition that their hard work is valued and makes a real difference to individuals and communities across Wales. Representatives of all partners were there to receive the award.
The Task Force goes from strength to strength and meets regularly to discuss community intelligence and agree hotspot areas where it can focus its collective resources such as officer patrols and activities and support for young people.
In June, four dedicated Community Safety Wardens were introduced to provide high visibility, reassurance foot patrols in such locations. The Wardens proactively engage with residents, elected members and local businesses and have led on a Storenet initiative which empowers businesses that have signed up to report and address business-related crime and anti-social behaviour. Feedback on the Wardens has been overwhelmingly positive.
Through the work of the Task Force, the Council has also acted against repeat offenders using its Anti-Social Behaviour Group, which decides the most appropriate sanction when other interventions have failed. This year, six young people have found themselves in court and all six are subject to prohibitions, where they are excluded from entering the towns where they caused problems for residents and local businesses. The exclusion zones last for up to eight months.
The Youth Service has been busy working with young people out in the community, especially those at risk of committing anti-social behaviour, to divert them away from such behaviour, channelling their energies by signposting them to positive activities including community projects, showcasing the ways they are proud of where they live.
Councillor Helen Cunningham, Blaenau Gwent Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Place and Environment, with responsibility for Community Safety said:
“The Task Force was set up as a response to pockets of anti-social behaviour in our communities here in Blaenau Gwent, and as a recognition that no single agency or organisation could tackle this alone. The Task Force has a joint commitment to bringing about real change and making our communities safer. We’ve made some real good progress in this work, and I’m pleased that the Wales Safer Communities Award recognises this and praises the true partnership ethos behind it. The Task Force has much more work to do, and all partners remained fully focussed on supporting our communities, listening to and acting on their concerns.
“Thank you to everyone involved with this work, including residents and businesses.”
Chief Inspector Stevie Warden added:
"One of the key aims of our taskforce is to reduce anti-social behaviour and protect residents from associated harm and nuisance.
"Disorderly behaviour of any kind is completely unacceptable, and we'll use every tool we have at our disposal to ensure it is stamped out of our communities.
"We regularly work with taskforce partners in local schools and engage with residents to ensure they’re aware of their actions and the huge impact disorderly behaviour can have on their town and neighbours, but to also learn more about the issues acutely affecting them.
"I'd like to thank our partners, but also say we've got plenty of work still to do and we remain committed to lowering anti-social behaviour across the borough."
Rachel Rees, Head of Housing at Tai Calon, says:
"We are delighted to see the Blaenau Gwent Anti-Social Behaviour Task Force recognised for its hard work and dedication. This award underscores the incredible impact of collaboration between key partners like Tai Calon, Gwent Police, BG Youth Services, and District Enforcement. The success of this partnership highlights our commitment to tackling anti-social behaviour."
The judges said that the Task Force had demonstrated innovative practice in tackling criminal and anti-social behaviours, prevented escalation and re-occurrence, and had a positive impact on residents and local businesses in the identified hotspot locations. This enhanced partnership approach, improved people’s sense of wellbeing and quality of life in the area, demonstrated by the overwhelmingly positive feedback from residents, local businesses and local elected members.
Together with partners, we’ll be continuing the conversation on Anti-Social Behaviour at our upcoming Christmas events. Members of the Taskforce will be available to chat about people’s concerns and offer advice and support at:
- Tredegar and Abertillery Christmas Events, 7th December, 12pm to 4pm
- Brynmawr Christmas event, 14th December, 12pm to 4pm
- Ebbw Vale Christmas Event, 21st December, 12pm to 4pm
