Housing Executive launches new Community Safety Strategy
The Housing Executive has launched a new community safety strategy. Running through to 2030, ’Building Safer Communities Together,’ sets out a new approach to reducing anti-social behaviour across Northern Ireland.
Housing Executive Director of Housing, Jennifer Hawthorne explained,
“We know that any form of anti-social behaviour can have a huge impact on individuals and communities.
“Our new community safety strategy has been developed in consultation with tenants and partners to proactively address issues related to crime and antisocial behaviour and provide a framework for creating a safer, more inclusive living environment for all communities.
“By adopting a multifaceted approach that combines tenant engagement, crime prevention initiatives and strong partnerships with statutory bodies and community organisations, this strategy seeks to empower our residents, reduce the prevalence of Anti-Social Behaviour and foster a greater sense of community.
“This holistic approach works toward enhancing the safety and wellbeing of social housing tenants.
"By addressing key safety concerns, engaging with residents and fostering collaborative partnerships, this strategy aims to create a safer and more secure living environment for everyone.”
The strategy places emphasis upon ensuring that those responsible for causing nuisance or annoyance within the community change their behaviour in an effort to stop or reduce the incidents of Anti-Social Behaviour occurring.
Read the Community Safatey Strategy.
Mrs Hawthorne continued,
“‘Building Safer Communities Together’ is underpinned by three strategic aims: Building Community Confidence, Ensuring Local Solutions and Working Together.
“In practice, this means we will focus on ensuring those responsible for causing nuisance or annoyance within the community change their behaviour in an effort to stop or reduce the incidents of Anti-Social Behaviour occurring.
“We will work with those individuals in an effort to resolve issues using the intervention, prevention and support measure at our disposal.
"This approach aligns with our anti-social behaviour policy and demonstrates our commitment to dealing with this issue in a balanced incremental way.
“I want to reassure communities that we will not hesitate to use more robust action whenever it is required. I encourage any tenants worried about anti-social behaviour to please report any incidents so we can help."
“We are also happy to take anti-social behaviour referrals from a relative, a friend or an advocate, if you’d prefer someone else to make contact on your behalf.
“To report anti-social behaviour, call our General Enquiries Line on 03448 920 900 and ask to speak to your Patch Manager.
“If anti-social behaviour is more serious or criminal, call the PSNI on 101 or 999 in an emergency.”