Published: Thursday, 10th November 2022
Cannock Chase Council have partnered with Victim Support Harmony Unit and Rugeley Police to launch a new initiative, which aims to help victims of anti-social behaviour (ASB) this winter.
The new project which launched this week will focus on Rugeley in the run up to Christmas and will see representatives from the Council, Victim Support Harmony Unit and Rugeley Police will be engaging with the public and business owners, to assess if they are having any issues with ASB.
Councillor Bryan Jones, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Leader for Community Safety and Partnerships said “Anti-social behaviour is defined as 'behaviour by a person which causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to persons not of the same household as the person. Sadly, ASB tends to rise in the winter months as the nights get longer, which can cause distress to people in our communities.
"Occasionally, due to high volumes of calls to the police 101 service, some people have difficulty in getting through, with some victims choosing to hang up before their call is answered and the crime goes reported. This can cause victims to suffer in silence.
“The team had a great start to this initiative this week, with positive feedback received from the public. This project will help victims of ASB, how and where to report these offences and put the support that they need in place.”
Representative from Cannock chase Council, Victim Support Harmony Unit and Rugeley Police will be at the following locations until the end of 2022:
• Thursday 24 November 2022 – Midday to 2pm – Springfields Estate, Rugeley
• Thursday 8 December 2022 – 2pm to 4pm – Brereton Park
• Monday 19 December 2022 – Midday to 2pm – Rugeley Town Centre and Sandy Lane
There will be more locations across the District added in the New Year up to the end of March 2023.
Photo: L-R Andy Smith-Cannock Chase Council, Michelle Walker-Victim Support Harmony Unit, PCSO Hannah Fearnall, Resident-Joy Wood, Councillor Bryan Jones