Community Tensions Monitoring in Kirklees

The wellbeing of our communities is of the utmost importance to us as councillors and services in the local authority. Understanding then, what community tensions are, how they are monitored and where people can report issues to, is key to us being able to support this continued wellbeing.

What are Community Tensions?

Community Tensions describe situations where residents feel concerned, anxious or fearful, either in response to, or in anticipation of, events at a local, national or international level. Some examples may include:

·         Visit by groups such as EDL

·         International  events such as war in Syria

·         Hate crime (including and incidents directed to individuals)

·         Planning applications for change of use of community buildings

·         Anti-social behaviour in specific areas

If Community Tensions are not effectively managed, there is a danger that they may be a catalyst for more extremist behaviours, leading to disorder and potentially threatening the peace and stability of local communities.

How are Community Tensions monitored?

Public services, including elected members, have face-to-face contact with the public and the local environment. This means their “eyes and ears” are of great importance in keeping an up-to-date picture of what is happening in local communities, particularly where there are issues that might move from concern to conflict.

To ensure that any possible tensions are addressed at the earliest possible stage, it is important to trust your instincts and share your concerns about any activity, behaviour or conversations which might appear trivial but don’t seem quite right. Some examples of Community Tensions information might include:

·          Extremist speakers or events taking place in the area

·         The “word on the street” in relation to possible triggers of tension

·         Storing large amounts of chemicals or fertilisers for no obvious reason

·         Overseas travel for long periods of time when the person is vague about where they are going

All information is dealt with in the strictest confidence and contributes towards the development of a tensions rating for the district, which is used to track threat levels and to help inform any appropriate actions.

Where can I report Community Tensions information?

Email Community.tensions@kirklees.gov.uk or if you have any questions, contact Javier Santana-Acosta on 01484 221000