The Strategic Director, Place will submit Document “U” which reports on the partnership response and community engagement activity which supported the operational approach to the planning in the run up to and during the bonfire period 2018.

Recommended-

(1)       That the work undertaken by the various partnerships and communities be noted and commended.

(2)       That the work undertaken by volunteers and staff across all organisations be commended.

                                                                        (Rebecca Trueman – 01274 431364)

The Strategic Director, Place submitted Document “U” which reported on the partnership response and community engagement activity which supported the operational approach to the planning in the run up to and during the bonfire period 2018.  It reported on the work undertaken to tackle the annual rise in violence, vandalism and anti social behaviour in the Halloween/Bonfire Night season.

Members made the following comments:

·         Commended the effective partnership work and strong community engagement in helping to reduce the number of attacks on Police and the Fire Service.

·         It was important to continue to strengthen the partnership working and community engagement.

·         People were not deliberately fly tipping but once they were educated and made aware of the fly tipping policy they understood; needed to keep educating people on issues such as fly tipping around bonfire night.

·         Pleased to see that this year’s incidents were lower than last year but there were still too many incidents, why should emergency services get attacked for trying to protect people? there were still too many people using the night as an excuse to commit crime; needed better legislation around the sale of fireworks.

·         Faith Groups and communities were involved this year; the Imam’s Friday sermon included issues about bonfire night, told the story of bonfire plot, making it a peaceful event and making it a safe and enjoyable period, talked to the community about the right things to do such as not throwing old furniture out and looking after the elderly, the message was also transmitted on the radio and the congregation at the mosque; would like to see this sort of sermon in other faith communities.

·         How many volunteers were recruited and was there a database set up? 

·         More legislation was needed to ascertain where a firework was purchased from; there was a motion to Council that fire works should be labelled to show where they came from.

·         Commended the use of “Community Calmers” made up of local residents and community figures to disperse troublemakers; when the community were involved it often meant that the young people were known which frightened  young people.

·         May be it was time to look at Bonfire Night and the way it was celebrated in Bradford; celebrate communities rather than remembering an unsavoury bit of history.

·         Educating people on the consequences of getting caught and ending up with a criminal record made people take notice and made a lot of difference.

·         Because of the work undertaken leading up to bonfire night were Bradford’s  incidents lower than neighbouring authorities?

·         Needed to lobby the government to introduce legislation that tracked fire works and where they were purchased from.

·         Commend the work undertaken by the voluntary and faith communities.

In response to the comments made by Members it was reported that:

·         A data base of volunteers was not kept but officers did know how to contact the volunteers through the community and further work would be undertaken through the community.

·         This kind of work had not happened anywhere else in West Yorkshire.

·         Incidents were lower than neighbouring authorities due to a number of factors which included: the preparation that was undertaken and the huge amount of work that was undertaken in schools, produced a presentation for secondary schools which focussed on consequences and showed graphic images and videos.

·         During numerous school visits the message the police were giving was the serious consequences of taking part in such disorder, from images of fireworks or bonfire injuries and warnings that criminal records could hang over their heads for years to come.

·         In some instances officers were able to obtain intelligence and find out where a fire work was purchased and shops were visited and fire works were confiscated; but needed to be smarter on how that information was obtained.

·         Police and Trading Standards conducted numerous inspections on shops selling fireworks during the bonfire period; all the official shops were legally selling fireworks but the biggest problem was “pop-up” shops selling fireworks from car boots.

·         The amount of work undertaken by Bradford East Area Office and in Particular the Ward officer was to be commended.

·         The community calmers scheme had proved to be so successful that it would be repeated in future years.

The Police representative stated that local mosques had spoken out warning people to avoid getting involved in disorder during Friday Night Prayers before Bonfire Night which was useful. 

 Resolved-

(1)       That the work undertaken by the various partnerships and communities be noted and commended.

(2)       That the work undertaken by volunteers and staff across all organisations be commended.

Action:           Strategic Director, Place

(Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee)