Engaging with the community

(i) Neighbourhood Forums

 

The Community Safety Team co-ordinate and arrange regular meetings of a boroughwide Community Safety Consultation Forum, together with neighbourhood forums in each of the six neighbourhood policing areas covering the Borough.  All these meetings are open to the general public.

 

An agenda for each of these meetings is circulated to all regular attendees, local councillors, the police and other local organizations and interest groups a minimum of seven days prior to the meeting.  The date, time and venue for each meeting is advertised in the local press and on the Council's website.  The notes arising from these meetings are circulated to all attendees within seven working days following the meeting.  Copies are also be available on request.

 

(ii) Visual Audits

 

Visual audits are where local councillors and local residents meet with representatives of the Council and the Police to 'walk' a specific locality to identify community safety issues that need to be addressed.

 

Should a neighbourhood forum request a visual audit in a locality the community safety team will arrange such an audit within 28 days of receiving the initial request and advise interested parties accordingly.  A note will be kept of all issues raised at the visual audit and these will be circulated to all attendees and other appropriate persons within 10 working days of the visual audit.  An update report on the response by the responsible agency to the issues raised at the visual audit will be circulated within a further 28 days.  The outcome of the visual audit will also be reported to the next meeting of the neighbourhood forum.