Nuisance-busting smartphone app set to help tackle trouble in Hartlepool

Police and local authorities are increasingly introducing technology to help people and businesses join them in the fight against crime and nuisance.

Now councillors in Hartlepool have asked officers to explore introducing an app aimed at tackling antisocial behaviour.

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Cllr Tony Richardson raised a motion at the latest full meeting of Hartlepool Borough Council for the local authority to look at using the technology which would allow residents to report and log noise complaints.

He said the app is already used by the likes of Durham County Council, Sunderland City Council, Thirteen Group and Darlington Borough Council, and can benefit the lives of residents.

He said: “It saves you putting feet on the ground, they can use the app, phone it in, and then the officer can say right then, we’ve got a problem in say Stockton Road, 10 people have phoned in with the app.

“I can’t see why we’re not using it, it could benefit.”

He added costs would also be minimal, with an estimated set up cost of around £540 and then an annual subscription of less than £1,000 based on a 12 month contract.

Cllr Lee Cartwright also backed using the app in Hartlepool, adding it would be a ‘fantastic opportunity’ to bring the technology into use in the town.

He said: “It is an app which the Government actually recommends to use, there’s a lot of councils that already do use it.

“I think it will benefit every single person within Hartlepool with regards to antisocial behaviour and particularly noise complaints.”

A motion was unanimously passed by all councillors for the neighbourhood services committee to discuss and consider introducing the app for residents in Hartlepool at a future meeting.

Several councillors voiced their hopes the app could benefit the town and help tackle noise issues.

Cllr Tom Cassidy said: “I wish this sort of technology was around when I was a kid back in the 90s, having noisy neighbours growing up who weren’t considerate, it was a long process to go through, but I absolutely adore this motion.”

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Cllr Brenda Harrison also supported the move, and called for the return of a 24 hour noise nuisance service for residents to report incidents at any time of day or night, which will also be considered by the neighbourhood services committee.

She said: “I think this is a really good idea, I am a Luddite when it comes to technology but at the same time I do see that it poses some really good things.

“I also think anything that can help tackle antisocial behaviour has to be good.”

Cllr Paddy Brown added it was important staff would be available to monitor and act, if needed, on complaints lodged on the app, if it was brought in.

He said: “It’s alright having an app that you can complain on 24 hours a day, it’s that somebody would be at the other end accepting the complaint 24 hours, not just us writing in an app that doesn’t get looked at until nine o’clock tomorrow morning.”

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