13th April 2012
I have just had the opportunity to read the Evening Echo, and I was perturbed to read  a woman was murdered in Southend in a bedsit and her partner has been arrested on the suspicion of her murder. On the next page there was a small article stating that the decision for selective licencing for landlords to pay for permits to rent out rooms, will not be decided until June 2012. This current murder and previous anti-social behaviour in around Southend High Street,   will fuel the debate and the Southend council could potentially  win the arguement and charge the landlords £600 per annum for the privage of renting rooms. Charging landlords for the privage to rent rooms does not stop anti-social behaviour or domestic violence, but good quality policing can discourage people from causing damage to their communtity. I also believe  that addressing the real causes of these behaviours would benefit the community and keep our residents safe!!