Building Strong Communities

My latest monthly column for the Times and Citizen newspaper reflected on the recent widespread disorder seen in London and elsewhere, and on how the uplifting scenes people taking part in spontaneous clean-ups and joining 'broom armies' got many of us thinking about our own communities and how precious they are to us. In case you haven't seen here, I've reproduced it here:

Over a week after relative calm has been restored, the scenes of appalling violence and widespread criminality witnessed in a number of England's urban areas last week are still shocking.

Of course, rioting and looting did not happen here in Bedford. Praise is due to Beds Police, which launched a major operation in town to deter any possible trouble and whose officers provided a reassuring presence.

I also want to congratulate the police for keeping residents informed through a variety of forms of communication. They used social media and text messaging to keep people updated in real time, to let them know they were prepared, and to quash scurrilous rumours about potential trouble here.

Of course, just because we did not experience the dreadful scenes of lawlessness here, there is no room for complacency or self-satisfaction. The police remain prepared and ready to deal with any hint of disorder.

The council continues to work closely with the force to help ensure the safety of our communities, for example through our award-winning CCTV control room, which helps to prevent crime and disorder.

The events of the past couple of weeks have got many people, myself included, thinking about their own local community and how precious it is to them. While the spontaneous clean-ups and 'broom armies' which appeared were uplifting and inspirational, we should remember that communities are built not just through one-off acts in response to adversity, but day-to-day. Whilst no one should pronounce on what an 'ideal' community is, I think we can say that a strong community is an inclusive one in which people take pride in their local environment and act for the good of not just themselves but of their household, their neighbours, neighbourhoods and community at large. And I think it's worth us all reflecting on the extent to which that is true of our own communities, and on what we can do to make it more so.