By Community Correspondent Anjali Parshotam Hounslow Council has launched a £25,000 scheme known as the 10 promises to make residents “feel proud that you live and work in this borough”, ranging from keeping kids off the streets to improving the facilities in the town.

Promise number 5, has seen to the introduction of improving and tackling crime rates in Hounslow, by investing £25,000 into the establishment of Community Safety Coordinators who will work closely with local residents. This promise was initiated after residents’ feedback, who agreed that they did not feel as safe as they should- this reaction was later corroborated by statistics that showed that, last year in Hounslow, the number of offences was 23,516.

Crime reduction will be tackled with the aid of 5 main committees of coordinators, one in each borough- Central Hounslow, Chiswick, Heston and Cranford, Isleworth and Brentford and lastly, Feltham. The Council Officers are located and based in local police stations, in order to work with the police and other partner agencies first hand.

Dealing with crime similarly to the police and council, the Neighbourhood Community Safety Coordinators will deal with anti-social behaviour, drug and alcohol problems and find solutions to “addressing problematic individuals, families and locations”. Awareness is raised via community events, the coordinators also encourage people to actively take part in creating a safer environment for all and promote the work that has already been done, for example HASBAGs.

HASBAGs stands for Hounslow Anti Social Behaviour Action Group. According to the Safety Coordinator for the Central Hounslow borough Elena Saragato, “through coordinating the Hounslow Anti Social Behaviour Action Groups- we have assisted the police in taking proportionate actions against perpetrators of crime in the area”. Different methods, such as behaviour contracts and using available tools under the Anti Social Behaviour legislation have been introduced so that council departments can find solutions to problems that arise in each area.

Elena also added, “We are committed to develop and co-ordinate projects aimed at community engagement, crime reduction and prevention through the minimisation of social exclusion”. This will prove to be a success, as according to a local resident “people like to be informed in what the council is doing to help tackle the constant onslaught of crime”.

For more information about Hounslow Council’s 10 promises to its residents visit http://www.hounslow.gov.uk/index/news_and_events/promises.htm .