The next meeting of Beeston Hill Community Association (BHCA) on Monday (29 July 2024) will be focussing on the issue of drugs and related crime, which is having a big impact on residents in Beeston Hill. The meeting takes place at The Hamara Centre on Tempest Road from 6:30-8pm.
Those of us living in the area are all too aware of the problems connected with drugs and addiction. Whilst our hope within the BHCA is to celebrate what is strong in our community, not simply focus on what is wrong, we appreciate that this issue can provoke anger and anxiety for local people and families, so we want to provide a safe space for residents to share their experiences and be listened to. We will also discuss what is and can be done by residents, as well as the Police, to tackle these problems.
As local residents ourselves, members of the Beeston Hill Community Association Committee, have become concerned about drugs in the area, so asked to meet with council officers and a representative from the local Anti-social Behaviour Team earlier this month. We were assured that the Police and Council are aware of the situation and have started to increase resources into the area. These include use of mobile cameras and a Safer Leeds Van, as well as new community based officers called ‘Capable Guardians’. These officers do not have power to make arrests but look to make connections with local people and be ‘eyes and ears’ in the community. This is all part of a strategy which is based on ‘Prevention, Intervention & Education’ which involves working with other council and third sector agencies.
Since this meeting, an information leaflet has been produced and distributed to the most affected areas to inform and reassure residents about what is being done to reduce the effects of drugs and crime on our streets. Although the Police and Council are trying to tackle the problems, they rely on information from the public to help, so we would strongly encourage residents to report any concerns through the reporting channels at the end of this article, as we believe people in Beeston should feel safe and be safe in their homes, on the streets and the places they go. Our Hunslet & Riverside Ward Councillors will also be at our meeting, so it is also a good opportunity to share any concerns and have questions answered. We hope you can join us.
The Beeston Hill Community Association (BHCA) is community-led group which aims to give residents of Beeston Hill* the opportunity to get to know neighbours, share their views on community life and be heard. We would love to see residents getting to know one another, working together to speak up for the area and bring about change. The BHCA meets every two months at The Hamara Centre on Tempest Road.
If you live in the area and want to make our community better, we would love to hear from you – please get involved.
For more information and regular updates please check out our Facebook group, Beeston Hill Community Association – Leeds.
*Beeston Hill Community Association covers the old red brick housing around the Tempest Road area, down to Dewsbury Road, including areas such as the Harlechs, Woodviews, Stratfords and all surrounding streets.
Useful Contact Information:
Concerns relating to sex work and kerb crawling can be reported to the Police by calling the Dedicated Line 07497 386922 (7am-11pm). This number is for reporting ongoing sex working only. If the Dedicated Line is engaged, you can leave a message and an Officer will get back to you, or email: LD.SSW@westyorkshire.police.uk
To report ASB (Anti-Social Behaviour) to Leeds City Council: Safer Leeds ASB Service: Ring 0113 222 4402 Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, report online: Report antisocial behaviour (leeds.gov.uk) or to remain anonymous, please call: Crimestoppers on 0800 555111
Drug dealing locations – report these to West Yorkshire Police
Rough sleepers – if you see anyone rough sleeping, report to StreetLink – Connecting people sleeping rough to local services (thestreetlink.org.uk). This sends an alert to the Street Outreach Team, who will reach out, engage, and offer support
If there is immediate danger to yourself or someone else, you should always ring 999. If it is not an emergency, you can ring the Police on 101 or online at www.westyorkshire.police.uk/LiveChat.
This post was written by Sarah Hutchinson
Photo: May’s BHCA meeting
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