Community Engagement
No community safety partnership can succeed (or hope to deliver its aims and objectives) without the help, support and involvement of the community it is working for. This is known as “Community Engagement” and is one of the most important parts of partnership working.
We regularly conduct research to gauge public opinion on various issues concerning how safe people feel and what concerns them about their neighbourhoods. We listen to this feedback and take it very seriously as it forms one of the core strands of how we set our aims, objectives and targets for the future. We also make sure that partnership working reaches out to every area, street and house in Stevenage.
The most visible face of the partnership is the Police and the Police Community Support Officers. Every area of Stevenage now has a dedicated Ward Constable and Police Community Support Officer’s to provide visible patrols, both during the day and after dark.
Police Community Support Officers are given a 20% allocation of each shift to cover administrative tasks, meaning they can spend 80% of each period of duty on their areas. This target is strictly monitored and regularly achieved.
Although the Government has recently said it wants all community officers to be more readily contactable, this has been happening in Stevenage for many years, with the Safer Neighbourhood Policing Team having contact numbers which are easily accessible and frequently published.
Safer Neighbourhood Policing Team
Working in the background is the Community Safety Partnership Forum. This is a body of people who represent most of the agencies who form the Community Safety Partnership. They meet three times a year and these meetings are open, so anyone can come along and listen to what is being discussed and see, first hand, how decisions affecting their area are made. Those attending are also encouraged to voice their opinions and ask any questions they may have.
Area Committees
On a more local level, the town is split into six areas, and each area has its own Area Committee.
These areas are shown below:
- Bedwell - Bedwell and Pin Green wards
- Chells and Manor Chells and Chells Manor wards
- Broadwater - Broadwater, Longmeadow and Roebuck wards
- Old Stevenage - Old Town, Symonds Green and Woodfield wards
- St Nicholas - St Nicholas and Martins Wood wards
Shephall, Bandley Hill and Poplars - Shephall, Bandley Hill and Poplars wards
Area committees meet four times a year. Local Councillors are in attendance and it is their job to:
- Identify and meet the needs of the Community in the local area, within the Area Committee’s budget, through consultation with, and involvement of the community and other appropriate bodies.
- Allocate grants to local voluntary organisations and community groups.
- Make arrangements for the provision of information about local services and other information to people in the area.
- Act as a Community Forum where the Committee and members of the community can discuss issues of concern to them, such issues to include matters which are the direct responsibility of the Council and other issues which are the responsibility of other organisations.
- These meetings are publicised well in advance and held in local venues. The public are encouraged to attend to raise their concerns and have their views heard.
Neighbourhood Action Teams
As well as area committees we also have Neighbourhood Action Teams. These used to be called Locality Teams and their function is to work with the area committees and use their dedicated budgets to implement community improvement initiatives.
Teams of officers are assigned to each area, covering services such as environment, police and children and families. This builds on the strong sense of neighbourhood belonging in Stevenage, and means that services are working together at a very local level. This approach also aids the involvement of the community in identifying issues and suggesting solutions which the council commits to act upon.
Street Meets
Street Meets are another good way for the views of the public to be heard. As the name suggests, they are meetings held at “street level” and although these started several years ago in one area of Stevenage they have now spread to cover the entire town. They provide residents with the opportunity to meet Councillors, community development officers, the police and youth workers and discuss any issues which concern them. The feedback from these “street meets” is always good with everyone involved benefiting from hearing the comments and suggestions.
The aim of these meetings is to:
- encourage residents to report crime and anti-social behaviour, early reporting is a proven factor in dealing with this type of problem.
- encourage residents to voice their concerns directly to those who can help address them.
- encourage participation in the Neighbourhood Watch group.
- to highlight and signpost local services to residents such as sports activities for young people.
We also get feedback from residents via the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme. We have over 280 active Watch schemes now and each of these has a coordinator. All the coordinators meet regularly and community issues which are raised are reported back to either the area committees or direct to the Community Safety Partnership.
Stevenage Borough Council continue to provide a high level of “face to face“ service at the customer service centre in Danestrete, where any one can either call in or ring up to get help and advice on a wide range of subjects. If the problem is one that a partner agency can help with, such as dog fouling, anti social behaviour or dumped rubbish which could be a fire hazard, then the service desk operator will pass it on straight away to the relevant department or organisation. You can use the 'Street Smart' texting service to report environmental issues in your area.
All this helps you to have your voice heard and your opinion listened to.