Community Action Team Services

Community Safety Plans - Tackling Anti Social Behaviour

• Is anti-social behaviour and crime a problem in your area?
• How effective are the strategies of the local Crime and disorder Partnership?
• Whilst a multi-agency approach is essential, what role can be played by residents to address these top priorities?
• What about those groups who are hard-to-reach and the most vulnerable to anti-social behaviour and harassment?

CAT’s Community Safety Plans were initially developed in Bermondsey, as a means of bringing Black and White residents together to tackle high levels of racial tension, harassment and anti-social behaviour.

CAT has worked with Resident Steering Groups to produced Community Safety Plans, showing:

• Residents’ experiences of crime and anti-social behaviour
• The experiences of vulnerable and hard-to-reach groups
• Residents’ recommendations to tackle these problems, making their area safer for everyone who lives and works there
• Residents’ proposals showing how a Community Safety Partnership can e set up with statutory agencies and other service providers

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What Future: A Community Safety Plan for Young People’ (April 2008)

CAT spoke to 157 young people in Waltham Forest about:

• The impact of youth crime, knives and gangs – what is actually happening on housing estates
• The causes of youth crime – why young people get involved in gangs and why hey carry knives
• The solutions – what young people think should be done to tackle the problems of youth crime, knives and gangs

Young People’s solutions are included in an Action Plan ‘Wield Words – Not Weapons’ and one their key priorities – early intervention in primary schools – is being piloted at a primary school in Waltham Forest.

Download the report Community Safety Plan for Young People here.

Download the Action Plan here.

“The Community Safety Plan for our estates is held up as an example of good practice in Tower Hamlets. It was very good” Jean stokes, Chair, Digby Greenways Tenants & Residents Association

The Paragon Community Safety Plan identified shocking levels of anti-social behaviour and racial harassment in Canning Town and residents’ recommendations for improved community safety.

CAT is still working to encourage statutory agencies in Newham to support a Community-led Approach for improving community safety in the borough.