Lets help them not label them. My take on ASB in Dormanstown

As we are all aware, anti-social behaviour impacts negatively on a community as a whole. The consistent presence of anti-social behaviour inevitably results in local residents feeling concerned about venturing out at night to visit their local shops and other establishments. The fact is that people should feel comfortable when utilising their local amenities and not be in fear of potential threat or conflict.
 
Ennis Square in Dormanstown is in close proximity to several residential areas and has grown to be a particular hot bed of ASB. Elderly residents in particular are afraid to visit the local shops in the evening due to the intimidating environment that anti social behaviour can create.
My stance is one of youth development not labelling, education and restoring faith with young people that have none. Local groups and clubs such as the “ladies of Steel” and Dormanstown JFC offer alternatives for young people, with many successes these type of clubs deserve our support and admiration.

Unlicensed motorcycles, excessive noise and public consumption of alcohol are common issues and collectively present a wide range of problems for local residents. Parents with young children are naturally concerned about the motorcycles and the risk of accident due to erratic and unsafe riding along with the use of profanity and generally daunting behaviour. The unfortunate result is that people begin to feel helpless to resolve any issues due to inherent concerns about conflict should they attempt to engage with the perpetrators of anti social behaviour.

 I am committed to bringing the community together as a whole to resolve these issues and improve the area of Dormanstown for each of its residents. I believe it is important to actively seek solutions that benefit everyone. The implementation of workshops and programmes that aim to educate individuals on the consequences and ramifications of ASB is a prudent and effective way of tackling the issue and highlighting the way this behaviour affects the people that share their community.

 I propose a positive approach to the problem as opposed to pointing fingers and assigning blame. There is a genuine need for the installation of CCTV at Ennis Square in the short term. CCTV can undoubtedly serve as an effective deterrent but the overall aim will be to help and encourage our young residents to actively and positively engage with their community. Local resident John Duffill has been working hard to achieve a local CCTV presence in ASB hotspots which has my full support. I wish to avoid negative labelling and instead, identify and tackle the combined issues that influence troublesome behaviour.

I remain focused on finding solutions and helping every member of the community. By communicating with the youths that are engaging in ASB in a proactive way we can strive to improve the way they view and treat their community and ultimately make the area a better place for the people that live there.

Cllr Alec Brown
alec.brown@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk