Harlow Council has launched a new community safety hub in the town centre as part of a new crackdown on crime and antisocial behaviour (ASB) in the town.
The new hub, based in the Civic Centre, brings together the council’s Community Safety team and Essex Police, with a view to expand the hub to include other community safety partners in the future. The hub will bring community safety agencies under one roof to improve partnership working and sharing of information, to help reduce ASB and crime around the town, and is part of the council’s priorities to improve council services and restore pride in Harlow.
The public will continue to report crime and ASB in the usual way – the hub is not open to the public but will operate as a space where different partner agencies can work better together for the benefit of the town. Tackling crime and ASB featured as a major priority in the results of the council’s residents survey in 2023 and the hub will complement the council and its partners work to achieve this.
The launch event, held on Wednesday 17 January, gave partner agencies the chance see the hub and joint-working in action. It was attended by representatives from the council, Essex Police, the Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, the Police Fire and Crime Commissioner Roger Hirst and the NHS. A further event is being planned in the coming months where wider Safer Harlow Partnership members will be invited to visit the hub and learn more about how it enables partners to work more effectively together.
Commenting on the hub’s launch, Councillor Dan Swords, Leader of Harlow Council, said:
“We know from the residents survey conducted over the summer that tackling crime and ASB is a big priority for residents, and this hub will bring together the right agencies in the right place to share resources to tackle the issues head on.
“I am delighted to see the hard work behind the scenes to bring this new community safety hub to life has now paid off. We now have a space where the town’s community safety partners can all work together, share resources, data and information so that we as a town can more effectively identify, tackle and reduce issues around ASB and crime in Harlow. By being based in a central location in the town centre we can also work together more effectively to tackle issues within our town centre.
“By taking a more joined-up approach and improving the overall efficiency of the Community Safety Partnership in Harlow, we can make a much bigger difference in helping to make our residents, businesses and visitors feel safer and reduce incidents of ASB and crime across our town, whilst delivering on our priority to improve council services and restore pride in Harlow.”
Chief Inspector Paul Austin, District Commander for Harlow said “We welcome the launch of the community safety hub and are confident that it will support with our ongoing efforts to reduce antisocial behaviour in Harlow.
“We will continue to work with our partners including Harlow District Council and engage with those in the community about their concerns in Harlow.
“We want Harlow to be a place that people enjoy living in, working in and visiting and if there are issues that the public are worried about, please let us know.”
Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, said: “Our communities deserve to live in safe neighbourhoods where police are not strangers but visible, responsive and working with local businesses, groups and neighbourhoods to identify and tackle crime and antisocial behaviour.”
“Partnership working is essential in our approach to bring crime down and this hub will enable Essex Police, Harlow Council’s Community Safety team and other valued partners to work together and share resources. I’m very pleased this new hub is open and will be keenly following its effect on antisocial behaviour in Harlow.”
