A meeting hosted by Gosport MP, Caroline Dinenage was held on 9th October when representatives of HardwayRAG met with representatives from various authorities. This meeting was arranged to discuss the well publicised seasonal youth ASB at Hardway, and to learn of positive preparations to deal with any seasonal ASB in 2020.
Those in attendance included representatives from :
Gosport Police
Gosport Borough Council (Streetscene)
Gosport Borough Council (Councillors)
Motiv8
We were given the opportunity to discuss community concerns regarding seasonal ASB, the enforcement of the PSPO, and the impact that this repetitive problem has had on individuals and the community at large.
A step forward has been made by Authorities recognising the scale of the problem at Hardway following the media coverage of ASB incidents this summer. There are some positive initiatives being explored to prevent ASB including plans for activities and engagement with young people.
It is clear that authorities rely on 101 reporting and the statistics generated from this service to 'build a picture' of the level of ASB in our community. However, as anyone who has attempted to report incidents via 101 knows, this will not provide useful statistics to develop a response as it is commonly impossible to get through to report a problem. Assurances were given that improving the 101 system is a force wide issue.
Council Enforcement Officers are being made responsible for specific areas of Gosport and it is hoped that this will allow a greater knowledge to be gained locally and improve the liaison that should take place between authorities and also build better relationships with the community.
HardwayRAG representatives felt strongly that Council CCTV should be considered for the public space as it would act as both a deterrent and as a witness to events that take place should evidence be required. Currently it relies on individuals putting themselves at risk attempting to gain video evidence. It is this evidence that has spotlighted the issues at Hardway and finally forced authorities to recognise the problems in this public space.
From discussions it was clear that Gosport Council were putting obstacles in the way of this suggestion but if they truly wish to restore confidence of Hardway residents they will need to do more than just talk about 'positive initiatives'. The meeting ended with agreement for a meeting in the Spring, in the meantime we will be seeking further consideration of CCTV provision directly with Gosport Council and Councillor Hook.
Thanks to Caroline Dinenage MP, the lines of communication have been opened and we hope that HardwayRAG representatives can work in conjunction with the relevant authorities to put in place an effective plan for the Hardway area for 2020.