“Do not suffer in silence” is the message at the forefront of Manchester City Council’s drive to support communities during the first ever Anti-Social Behaviour Awareness Week.
Due to the pandemic thousands of Mancunians have spent a lot of time at home and in their wider community and for some, it has resulted in them being exposed to higher levels of anti-social behaviour (ASB).
Even though huge strides have been made in the city over the past 20 years to reduce crime and ASB the Council recognises there is still work to be done to tackle unacceptable behaviours which diminish a person’s quality of life.
Starting on Monday, July 19 the Council and its partners will embark on a week of action to encourage people to report anti-social behaviour, and to understand the range of issues which are affecting communities.
These include concerns over repeated verbal abuse, intimidation or harassment, damage to property and reports of hate crimes.
Pop up events will be taking place where people are able to confidentially report ASB to the Council, their housing provider or the Police as well as get advice on a range of issues including help if people are struggling with benefits or debt problems, and the support available for victims of anti-social behaviour.
The pop-up events will be taking place at:
Monday 19 July - Harpurhey Shopping Centre, 12.30 - 16.00
Tuesday 20 July - Newton Health Library, 10.30 - 12.30; Newton Heath Asda/Iceland car park (May Street) 13.00 - 16.00
Wednesday 21 July - Clayton, One Manchester Properties, 10:30 –12:30; Gorton Tesco supermarket, 13.00 - 16.00
Thursday 22 July - Manchester Arndale (near Next/Foot Asylum), 12.00 - 17.00
Friday 23 July - Rusholme, One Manchester managed estates, 10:00 – 12:00; Manchester Central Library, 11.00 - 15.30
Officers from the Council, as well as GMP and housing provider One Manchester will also be door knocking in the Clayton area of Manchester on Wednesday so that tenants will be able to speak about any ASB issues they are confronted with.
In addition, Harpurhey is an area where a consultation is under way asking residents for their views on selective licensing of properties. Selective licensing is a way of controlling and improving the standard of private rented accommodation by placing strict quality measures and responsibilities on the landlord. (See notes to editors for information about selective licensing).
Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar, Executive Member for Neighbourhoods, Manchester City Council, said: “Manchester has made so many strides over the past decades making it the thriving, vibrant city it is today. We want people to come live and work here, but more importantly we want this city to continue to be a safe and secure place to live for everyone who calls Manchester their home.
“People do not need to suffer in silence. Living with anti-social behaviour should not be something that people just put up with. It is down to us as a Council, along with our partners, to work together with residents to come up with solutions that improve lives and communities.
“But, we need people to talk to us so we can affect change. This week is a great way to focus on the support available to tackle anti-social behaviour, share examples of the work that takes place in communities every day and encourage people to report incidents to us. Everyone has the right to feel safe in their home and community."
Rebecca Bryant OBE, chief executive of Resolve, said: “We need to change the way we think about ASB. It is not low-level crime. It devastates the lives of victims and communities and can be a precursor to more serious crime.
“As the nation begins to recover from the impact of the pandemic and our society and economy celebrates the start of return to normal life, it is important that the challenge of ASB continues to be given the priority it needs nationally and locally so that people feel safe in their homes and communities.
“We are delighted to have Manchester City Council involved in this hugely important and successful campaign.
“It is vital to develop partnership approaches across communities to deal with the growing challenges around ASB.
“Everyone has the right to feel safe in their home and community.”