Community Safety
The Community Safety Team
consists of four sections:
- Enforcement
Team
- Respect Team
- Community Engagement
Team
- Coordination of the
Safer Harlow Partnership
Enforcement
Team
This team is
responsible for tackling anti-social behaviour
(ASB)
and environmental crime in the
town. We investigate complaints of ASB and work closely with
other Council departments and external partners such as the Police
to bring about a prompt resolution to problems.
Environmental Crime (dog
fouling, littering, fly-tips etc.) is also enforced by this team,
with a strong line taken against offenders, including the issuing
of on the spot fixed penalty notices.
CCTV
– the team is responsible
for the town’s CCTV systems which provide a useful tool in the
gathering of evidence and the deterrence against crime and
disorder.
Respect Team
Harlow was one of the
first Councils in the UK to create a Respect Team. This team seeks
to tackle the root causes of anti-social behaviour, and is involved
with several innovative projects in the town seeking to bring about
long term changes in the behaviours of families and individuals
causing disproportionate problems in their communities. The
programme includes a major new initiative providing parenting
support and training, including the employment of a Senior
Parenting Practitioner (Super Nanny).
Community
Engagement Team
This service is
responsible for building bridges with the local community, and
developing community strength. The service actively supports
the formation of new community groups and residents associations,
and works with them to identify community led solutions to local
issues.
The service
co-ordinates the corporate Community Engagement Strategy, which
consists of 3 tiers:
1.
Communities of Interest
A forum where
community groups and representatives come together to discuss
issues of relevance to the town.
2. Townwide
consultations – A forum where all residents can attend to
discuss chosen topics of relevance to the town.
3. Ad-hoc
Consultations – Consultations conducted in response to
local issues within a ward or locality
Community Cohesion and
Social Inclusion – coordinating the Council’s role as a community
leader with both residents and partner organisations, seeking to
ensure that all individuals or groups are not excluded from local
services and that their voice can be heard.
Safer Harlow
Partnership (SHP)
We are responsible for
the co-ordination of the Safer Harlow Partnership, which is
Harlow's Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP). All areas
in England are required by law to form CDRPs to work in partnership
to reduce crime and disorder. The partnership consists of many
local agencies and residents group, and is headed by – Essex
Police, Essex Fire and Rescue Service, West Essex Primary Care
Trust, Essex County Council, Harlow Council and the Essex Police
Authority.