LOCAL organisations have joined together in partnership to ensure victims of anti-social behaviour are no longer passed “from pillar to post”.

A new anti-social behaviour pledge, led by community safety partnership Safer Gloucestershire, has been signed by local councils and NHS organisations, in a bid to ensure the issue is taken seriously and made easier to report.

Representatives joined Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner and Forest of Dean District Councillor Nick Evans, who is Chair of Safer Gloucestershire, to sign the pledge at Gloucestershire Constabulary’s Waterwells Headquarters in July.

It was signed ahead of the announcement that the OPCC had secured more than £2 million of funding from the Government to tackle violence against women and girls, neighbourhood crime and anti-social behaviour.

A primary bid of almost £750k will be used to tackle anti-social behaviour, including a PCSO for each district, outreach activities and a children’s education project.

“People in Gloucestershire have the right to feel safe, whether they live, work in, or are visiting the county, and victims will always be provided with appropriate support”, the pledge reads.

Nick Evans said of the commitment: “The aim is simple: to stop residents of our county from being passed from pillar to post when they have a problem with anti-social behaviour.

“It is a signal to our residents that we as organisations, and as a County, want to nip ASB in the bud, tackle it early and improve the quality of life for our residents.

“I want this pledge to act like a no-wrong door policy, putting the victim first and looking not just at what can my agency do to help this resident find a solution, but who can I speak to at other agencies to help them too.”