Prime Minister Gordon Brown visited Stevenage this morning to launch an initiative aimed at tackling anti-social behaviour. Mr Brown was joined in Bedwell by Labour’s parliamentary candidate and leader of Stevenage Borough Council, Sharon Taylor, the Member of Parliament for Stevenage, Barbara Follett and Dawn Primarolo MP, Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families.
During his visit the Prime Minister took time out to speak to some of the local business owners in Bedwell Neighbourhood Centre, popping in to Jacks Pantry, WJ Rowe the chip shop and Tony Wilkins the local Greengrocer to hear how initiatives had helped ease the problems of anti-social behaviour in the area.
He also visited a local family and met parents at the Children’s Centre to hear what they had to say about the schemes running there, before heading to Marriotts School to meet a group of students who had written to Number 10 with their suggestions on how to improve Stevenage for young people.
During his visit Mr Brown launched the Family Intervention Programme – an initiative targeted specifically at a small group of households demonstrating extreme anti-social behaviour and was delighted to hear from Richard Liversidge, Herts Police’s neighbourhood team inspector, that anti-social behaviour is on its way down in Stevenage and that crime across Hertfordshire is down 5% this quarter.
Mr Brown said,
“We have about 50,000 families in this country living such chaotic lives that they make other people’s lives a misery. Family intervention Programmes are a no-nonsense approach – we are asking people to change their behaviour.
“Communities are pulling together here, and I have seen how neighbourhood policing is working. I have seen first-hand how it can make a difference to people’s sense of security.”
Mr Brown also visited mother-of-three Marie Oliver, who lives in Bedwell Crescent, to ask how a dispersal order – allowing police to move groups of people on – has affected anti-social behaviour. She told him that things have really improved since the order came in to force.
Labour Parliamentary Candidate Sharon Taylor who led the Prime Minister on his walk around the Neighbourhood Centre said,
“Gordon’s visit to Stevenage today was a great opportunity to introduce him to some local business owners and to people who make a real difference in the area. Bedwell is a vibrant community that benefits so much from all the people that work hard in places like the Children’s Centre to give the support that people really need.
“I was also pleased to see that the dispersal order has made a real difference to local residents and that crime is falling in the area – this is testament to the hard work of the local police and residents.”
Barbara Follett added,
‘‘I was delighted to welcome Gordon to Stevenage so he could see for himself the good work that the police and local groups are doing in Bedwell. My constituents tell me that neighbourhood policing has made a real difference to how safe they feel in their communities and dispersal orders such as this one can completely change a troubled area for the better.”
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