Resident inspectors gain accreditation in new scheme to tackle anti-social behaviour
News Item Details
- Date
- 6.08pm, 8 April 2010
Our very own tenants Bill Whelan and Michael Hearn were recently accredited under the Community Safety Accreditation by Hertfordshire Constabulary.
Both members of the Federation of Stevenage Tenants and Associations (FoSTA), Bill and Michael were recognised for their outstanding efforts as resident inspectors for Stevenage Homes.
They decided to apply for accreditation to get more involved in their communities. The scheme allows the Chief Constable to accredit staff and volunteers of other organisations with powers to tackle graffiti, litter, abandoned vehicles and underage drinking.
Bill and Michael will now carry special photographic identification and will be wearing badges that clearly show their accreditation. They will be able to ask individuals who they see behaving anti-socially for their names and addresses and it will be an offence to refuse or give false information.
Speaking about why they chose to apply for accreditation Bill Whelan, Chair of FoSTA, said:
‘We are out in the community for a considerable part of our time; we talk to a lot of people and see a lot of what goes on on estates. When we read about the scheme it seamed like this was an ideal way to develop our role and to help to keep the communities in which we work safe and pleasant places for people to live.’
Ted Jones, chair of Stevenage Homes added,
‘The Community Safety Accreditation Scheme is giving organisations like Stevenage Homes and people like Bill and Michael powers that enable their commitment to community safety to be turned into actions. I am very pleased that they have both been accredited and hope that residents will feel safer knowing that the excellent results that are already being achieved by the community safety partnership will be further reinforced by having accredited people out in the community.’
Stevenage Homes was also accredited as an organisation, and our staff will soon undergo training that will result in them taking on similar powers.