As part of the UK’s Anti-social Behaviour (ASB) Week, we held a series of community engagement events to bring residents together to discuss concerns, take a more proactive role in reporting ASB, and access support to help keep their communities safe.
Anti-social behaviour is defined as behaviour by a person which causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to someone who is not within their household.
The week involved a safety action day in Eltham High Street where community safety officers were joined by the police and Via, engaging with residents and visiting local businesses to address any safety concerns. A similar event took place in Woolwich Town Centre, where officers spoke to over 100 residents about how to keep themselves and their homes safe.
Alongside this, multiple weapon sweeps were conducted throughout the week, including on the Haddo Estate in Greenwich and the Rockmount Estate in Plumstead, which led to a serious weapon being uncovered and handed over to the police. Like with other events, the team saw it as a prime opportunity to highlight the work being done to ensure communities remain safe.
We also spent time on Strongbow Estate in Eltham with ward councillors, speaking to residents about any concerns they have relating to anti-social behaviour.
Anyone can use our weapon amnesty bins to dispose of dangerous weapons anonymously and safely without fear or prosecution. Since being installed, these bins have taken 862 weapons off the streets in Greenwich.
Councillor Joshua Ayodele, Cabinet Member for Community Safety & Integrated Enforcement, said: “These events are only the beginning and are certainly not limited to ASB Week. Following the great success and positive resident engagement at these sessions, our strategy includes holding more estate community days and youth sessions in the coming months. The communities we serve are our eyes, ears and intelligence in tackling ASB. I’m hopeful that these discussions will be invaluable in improving safety measures across the borough, getting things done and making Greenwich a safer place to be.”
The Community Safety team work hard all year round to crack down on anti-social behaviour. In the past year, 8,180 fixed penalty notices have been issued for ASB offences in public spaces across the borough. We have also issued 35 Community Protection Warnings; these are formal written warnings given to stop anti-social behaviour that negatively impacts the local community.
Please do not hesitate to contact the relevant services if you experience any form of anti-social behaviour. For example, call 999 if it’s an emergency and 101 if the incident has already happened and does not need an immediate response.