Trouble-makers warned in residents' pact (From Wirral Globe)
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Trouble-makers warned in residents' pact
12:10pm Friday 29th June 2012 in News By Geoff Barnes
Chris Lee (Regenda), Sue Chetta Jones (Police CSO) Andy O’Rourke (Wirral Anti-Social Behaviour Team)
PEACE-loving residents in a down-town Birkenhead street have sent out a strong message to trouble-makers that their disruptive behavior will no longer be tolerated.
People in Menai Street have signed a pact with Wirral Council, the police and local housing association designed to force anti-social offenders to mend their ways – or face the consequences.
It was put together in the aftermath of enforcement action taken against some residents who were making other people’s lives a misery with their anti-social behavior including drunkenness, loud music and fighting.
Those responsible were either evicted, issued with a formal warning, or given Anti-Social Behaviour Injunctions forbidding them from entering the street.
One resident, who did not want to be named, said: "We have reclaimed the street. Our street is now a place you can live."
Cllr George Davies, Wirral Council cabinet member for housing and community safety, said: "What has happened in Menai Street is a perfect example of what communities can achieve when they pull together themselves and join forces with the authorities to tackle a problem.
"The residents who have signed the Good Neighbourhood Agreement should be applauded for the great tenacity and courage they have shown in taking a stand against this anti-social element."
Wirral's Anti-Social Behaviour Team worked closely with Merseyside Police, Regenda Housing Association and residents from Menai Street to deal with the individuals identified as being a problem.
Merseyside Police focused attention on Menai Street and evidence from call logs and arrests was used as action in anti-social behaviour proceedings.
Regenda warned two of their tenants and applied for an Anti-Social Behaviour Injunction which banned a male visitor responsible for a significant amount of anti-social behaviour at one of their properties from visiting Menai Street.
The man subsequently breached his injunction and has gone back before the courts, receiving a fine and a custodial sentence.
He is currently subject to a suspended prison sentence.
Some of the perpetrators lived at or visited private rented properties.
Wirral Anti-Social Behaviour Team interviewed and warned private tenants about their behaviour and also liaised with and supported private landlords to evict a couple of residents whose behaviour was unacceptable.
After the enforcement action, residents were consulted about developing a Good Neighbourhood Agreement for Menai Street and most were happy to sign up.
Although it is voluntary and not a legal document the agreement helps educate and create accountability by explaining what residents feel is unacceptable and the consequences if they or their visitors act anti-socially.
The agreement also advises residents what to do and how to complain if they suffer from anti-social behavior.
Anyone experiencing anti-social behaviour can call Merseyside Police on the new non-emergency telephone number 101, or 999 in an emergency.
People can also report anti-social behaviour to Wirral Anti-Social Behaviour Team on 606 2020.
Comments(3)
mozzer1102
says...
9:04am Mon 2 Jul 12
The ASBO team became involved and in a matter of months they helped us to reclaim the street back keeping us all anonymous! The agreement itself might only be a bit of paper but it is something else to make them think about their behaviour and me and my neighbours have got our street back!
Spiffy
says...
10:17am Mon 2 Jul 12
...
The main difference between now and then is that the police did more and locals needed to do less of their own "cleaning up" and even when they had to it never ever involved waving bits of paper around (if you catch my drift.)
...
From your story it seems the only benefit from paying more taxes for more departments in any kind of authority to handle less Crime is that you remain anonymous. Yet by any standard of moral or legal rights you should have been able to reclaim your street with far less hassle. Don't fall for it that the police are not under resourced because they aren't. It's just that...like any other public service... their financial affairs are very badly mismanaged, top heavy with large salaries and perks and we put up with it for some strange reason.
...
I could go and on about how "public servants" are now anything but due to sheer greed at the top but when it comes down to "Pay us more cash and we'll keep your name out of it" it smacks of blackmail to me. We all pay for and deserve far better than that.
Spiffy says...
2:35pm Fri 29 Jun 12
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No need for cso's that can't arrest anyone or "Good Neighbourhood Agreements" not worth the paper they are written or even for the council to get involved beyond simply evicting for breach of Tenancy Agreement.
...
The money thrown at these complicated and excruciatingly patronising efforts to bypass the criminal Justice System just amazes me. Cuts...what cuts ?
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So many people apparently so happy to keep paying more than twice over the odds for less than even half the Justice and protection they are entitled to. Truly bizarre.