Emma Hardy, the MP for Hull West and Hessle, tonight held a meeting with residents in Hessle to discuss anti-social behaviour.
The meeting took place at Hessle Town Hall, gave residents the chance to raise their concerns about anti-social behaviour in the area. It involved Emma, the police local councillors and Hessle Youth Group.
Tonight’s meeting is the second to be held this week. The first was a very successful meeting with the residents of Great Thornton Street flats, culminating in many residents expressing interest in setting up a residents group. There will be a follow-up letter sent to residents and a follow-up meeting in around two months time.
These meetings are taking place on the back of reports of anti-social behaviour across the constituency and aim to bring residents and other stakeholders together to empower them to solve the problems of anti-social behaviour that they currently face. The meeting will also focus on building a community mechanism that can be helpful in solving problems in the future.
The meetings are based on an initiative, led by Emma, previously used to address a similar situation in Spring Bank which had seen a variety of anti-social behaviour issues involving drugs and alcohol. By involving local residents and giving them the opportunity to come together with the police and other stakeholders, progress was able to be made on tackling the anti-social behaviour.
Alongside her work locally, Emma has also been campaigning on this issue nationally. In a speech made on the 13th March, Emma expressed concern around the constantly shifting crime spots in Hull and Hessle. Following the successful earlier effort to solve problems with anti-social behaviour in Spring Bank, issues seem to have migrated to other areas of the constituency. Emma called for a long-term solution including investment in education, community support and investment in the police, particularly in front-line police officers.
“When I spoke in Parliament last month on anti-social behaviour, I talked about how much of a blight it can be on the lives of those that experience it. Monday’s meeting at Great Thornton Street really brought that home. Home is where you are meant to feel safest but for many that just isn’t the case. I was really pleased with how the meeting went and that I got the chance to listen to people’s stories.
“While the issues in Hessle may be different on the surface, I am sure that the same approach of bringing residents together and empowering them to tackle their problems will work. This was part of the approach that worked in solving anti-social behaviour problems in Spring Bank last year and I’m sure it can work again here.
“However, tackling these issues locally is only part of the problem, if we are to stop the merry-go-round of anti-social behaviour moving from one place to the next then we must work on tackling issues on a national level. This means investment in youth services, investment in community support and investment in the police, particularly in frontline police officers. Last year, I stood on a Labour manifesto that promised all three and residents should rest assured that I will continue to push the government to act.”
