Stroud Council joins ‘Solace’ anti-social behaviour scheme

• Stroud District Council is the latest local authority to join the specialist anti-social behaviour initiative (ASB) Solace
• it means all of Gloucestershire’s six local councils are now committed to a joined-up approach, which focuses on incidents of high and medium level ASB as well as cases of repeat anti-social behaviour
• Gloucester and Cheltenham were the first to sign-up, followed by Cotswolds, Tewkesbury and the Forest of Dean
• Nelson said, “This announcement is a watershed moment as every resident in the county can now have access to the work of this expert multi-agency team.”

Residents in, and around Stroud, can now benefit from a joined-up approach to tackling Anti-social behaviour (ASB) after the district council became the final local authority in the county to join the Solace scheme.

Solace brings together a team of dedicated council case workers, police officers and PCSOs who work in partnership with communities to highlight and resolve complaints of high and medium level ASB as well as repeat incidents.

The rollout of the scheme has been championed by Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Chris Nelson, as part of his promise to tackle Anti-social behaviour in the county, and funded with money secured by the PCC from the Home Office Safer Streets Fund.

Mr. Nelson, said: “Anti-social behaviour is what’s known as a gateway crime. It can escalate and have a devastating effect on residents and whole communities, which is why I put a zero tolerance approach at the heart of my election campaign.

“Rolling out Solace to the rural areas of Gloucestershire is a key part of fulfilling my promise, so this announcement is a watershed moment as every resident in the county can now have access to the work of this expert multi-agency team.”

Rural Solace Team Leader Sam Higginson, said: “Following on from the success of Solace within both Gloucester and Cheltenham, I am excited in welcoming Stroud as part of the team.

“This now means that all six districts in Gloucestershire are working together to tackle and reduce persistent anti-social behaviour. This is huge step forward and will give the people of Gloucestershire a consistent platform when reporting ASB to either their local authority or the police”.

The Solace partnership has also been strengthened by the Safer Gloucestershire Anti-social behaviour pledge which puts victims of ASB first, and makes sure that reporting incidents to councils, housing associations and the police is made as easy as possible.

It commits partners to share intelligence and promote working together to make Gloucestershire safer and is in line with the PCC’s public health approach to crime prevention.

ASB Awareness Week runs from 3-7 July. The aim is to encourage communities to take a stand against ASB and not suffer in silence. And to highlight help that is on offer for those experiencing it.

ASB week is supported by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, local councils, the police, housing associations, charities, community groups and sports clubs. The Constabulary’s community engagement vehicles will be around the county throughout the week, to offer advice and gather evidence where appropriate.

If you are suffering from anti-social behaviour at home or in your community, look here for advice.