Foreword to the second edition
Professor Ted Cantle, CBE, Executive Chair, Institute of Community Cohesion
Sir Hugh Orde OBE, President, Association of Chief Police Officers
We share a commitment to building safe and strong communities, where people of different backgrounds can live and work together with mutual trust and respect. For the most part, that is how people do live. But we are aware that sometimes there are circumstances where there can be distrust and antagonism within and between communities which cause fear and
anxiety and can lead to disorder and violence.
The benefit of monitoring community tension and sharing information between communities and partners is primarily to support communities to develop their own solutions and responses, to prevent tension escalating into conflict and to reduce risks to life and property. Equally, the more we know about and understand community dynamics, the better able we are to anticipate problems and contribute to building positive relationships. Where tensions are rising, the systems, tools and techniques in the guide will help prepare partners to work with communities to manage those difficult situations in ways that are collaborative, sensitive and effective.
Since the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, Police, Local Authorities and statutory and voluntary partners have increasingly worked together on strategic plans and practical operations to reduce crime and the fear of crime. Increasingly, joint tasking is making a difference in local neighbourhoods, addressing residents' local priorities for cleaner and safer neighbourhoods and building stronger communities. This guide builds on those experiences and combines good practice from different partners into a coherent approach. Whilst this is a guide for practitioners, it requires the endorsement and support of leaders, chief executives, and other senior officers from all partners to enable the system to operate effectively - especially as it enables the focus of interventions to shift from those led by the police to wider community based solutions.
The first edition of the guide was funded by the Metropolitan Police Service, with support from the Department for Communities and Local Government. The team supporting its development included the Communities Together Strategic Engagement Team at the Metropolitan Police, the National Community Tension Team and the London boroughs of Southwark, Waltham Forest and Hounslow, who contributed ideas and good practice and piloted the system. The Institute of Community Cohesion (iCoCo) brought its' experience in the broader cohesion agenda to this guide. The Institute is experienced in working with a wide range of local authorities, statutory agencies and local communities. Its' expertise is in research, identifying good practice and producing resources and development programmes for politicians, policy makers and practitioners.
Since the first edition, many areas of the country have adopted the system, been involved in training and contributed new ideas. So, whilst the first edition has stood the test of time, the second edition does include some updated elements, particularly to the definitions and measurements of tension, which now include measures of fear and anxiety in communities and damage to their reputation. There is also a new section giving practical examples of the kinds of signs and situations which staff from different agencies working in communities should be looking out for.
We commend the approach and look forward to its wider use and to realising the benefits of improved tension monitoring for all our communities.
