Royal Borough’s Community Wardens join national campaign tackling anti-social behaviour
The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead’s Community Wardens have joined a national campaign to help tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) and keep people safe.
Running from 18 to 22 July, ASB Awareness Week 2022 aims to encourage communities to take a stand against ASB and highlight the actions that can be taken by those experiencing it.
Organised by Resolve, the UK’s leading ASB and community safety organisation, the week features a series of events across the UK involving councils, police forces, housing associations, charities, community groups and sports clubs.
To support the campaign, the Royal Borough’s Community Wardens will be conducting a concerted week of community engagement stands, scam and cyber awareness talks, enforcement operations and extra patrols in parks and open spaces.
The wardens focus on deterring ASB, crime prevention, enforcement operations and community engagement. During 2021/22, they engaged with vulnerable residents on 187 occasions to provide advice/support, dispersed on 148 occasions groups causing ASB and conducted 24 community operations.
Recent YouGov research commissioned by Resolve found that more than half of people nationally (56%) believe that ‘more needs to be done’ to tackle ASB in their community. However, after they witnessed or experienced ASB, a similar proportion of the public (57%) said that they did not report it to anyone.
The Royal Borough is urging members of the public not to suffer in silence if they experience ASB. Incidents can be reported to the wardens, or to the police if people feel they are at immediate risk or in danger.
Look out for the wardens on their community safety stand at Maidenhead town centre on Wednesday, Windsor Royal Station on Thursday and Maidenhead Carnival on Saturday. You can also speak with them at the next World Café, in Hurley Village Hall, on Thursday 21 July, noon to 2pm.
During the week, the wardens will also be conducting targeted dog-fouling patrols and joint activities with police, in addition to their usual patrols through the day and into the evening. To contact the wardens, email wardens@rbwm.gov.uk or call 01628 685636.
Councillor David Cannon, Cabinet Member for Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime, and Public Protection, said: “Working with our partners and communities, we take a strong stance against anti-social behaviour in all its forms, and we encourage people to report issues to our community safety team.
“Our Community Wardens are a high profile, reassuring presence year-round, and they are planning a week of concerted activity for ASB Awareness Week. They work with a number of agencies such as the police and housing associations, to jointly prevent and tackle ASB issues, support community safety and engage with residents to listen to their concerns.”
Inspector Mike Darrah, of Thames Valley Police, said: “Working alongside the Royal Borough’s wardens and other partner agencies, we want residents and visitors across Windsor and Maidenhead to feel safe from anti-social behaviour.
“Whilst officers may not always be able to attend incidents at the time of the report, we encourage people to report their concerns around anti-social behaviour via 101 or online. This will help build a picture of what is happening in our local communities, and allows us to take appropriate action with partner agencies.”
Rebecca Bryant OBE, Chief Executive of Resolve, added: “ASB is not low-level crime. It can have a long-lasting impact on the lives of victims and communities and can be a precursor to more serious crime.
“It is important that the challenge of ASB continues to be given the priority it needs so that people everywhere feel safe in their homes and communities.
“We are delighted that the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead is supporting this hugely important campaign. It is vital to develop partnership approaches across communities to deal with the growing challenges around ASB.”
For more information about ASB Awareness Week, please visit www.resolveuk.org.uk/asbawarenessweek