A new fund has been announced by Harlow Council to support a range of new targeted measures to tackle antisocial behaviour (ASB) and crime.
On Thursday (12 June) Cabinet approved a report to allocate £80,000 to the Safer Harlow Partnership (SHP). Several local partner organisations, who make up the SHP, work together to confront those who go out of their way to negatively impact the communities that form the town.
As part of the Building Harlow’s Future plan, and to help deliver its mission to “protect our communities”, this year the council aims to further empower the SHP by establishing a more strategic, action-oriented combined force of organisations committed to tackling ASB and crime, and community safety. There is no place in Harlow for anyone who wants to cause harm, be part of a gang, intimidate people or break the law through organised means, so through new council funding the aim is to help support activity that ensures such individuals cannot escape justice.
The partnership, which is led by the council, Essex Police, Essex County Council, Essex Fire & Rescue Service, Hertfordshire West Essex Integrated Care Partnership and the Probation Service, includes local private, community and voluntary sector organisations. A core part of the partnership’s work this year is focused on addressing these serious priority issues: acquisitive crimes; county lines; serious violence; violence against women and girls; and domestic abuse.
To complement the existing priorities, funding will be awarded to the SHP to deliver three specific action themes: early intervention work to divert first-time offenders and young people from crime; investment in technology that helps to deliver blue light operational requirements; and the deployment of more visible patrols in anti-social behaviour and crime hotspot areas.
Councillor Joel Charles, Harlow Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Protection, worked with senior police officers to agree how best to fund future anti-social behaviour and crime initiatives that will help make Harlow’s streets safer:
“The purpose of the new fund is to make sure the Safer Harlow Partnership can better invest in early interventions to prevent reoffending, technology to halt ever sophisticated criminal activity and initiatives on the ground to tackle anti-social behaviour.
“It is the council’s view that diverting part of an existing budget reserve to fight anti-social behaviour and crime locally under a vehicle like the Safer Harlow Partnership, with the appropriate governance already in place to manage the funding, is the right approach.
“A more visible presence does make a difference. Funding will be committed to carry out additional high-visibility patrols, which officers from the council’s community safety team will play a prominent role in.
“The council is confident that the fund will deliver a positive impact and strengthen the ability of all members of the Safer Harlow Partnership to work together to confront those waging a campaign of anti-social behaviour and disrupt elements of the local criminal network.”