New partnership gives Devon and Cornwall residents a safer way to report anti-social behaviour
More than 10,000 residents across Devon and Cornwall are set to benefit from a new digital reporting service designed to make it easier to report anti-social behaviour and share evidence with their housing provider.
Westward Housing Group has partnered with digital evidence platform Kulpa to give residents a secure way to report incidents including anti-social behaviour, hate crime, drug-related activity, domestic abuse and other safeguarding concerns.
Westward, one of the South West’s main affordable housing providers, currently manages 7,692 homes across Devon and Cornwall.
Through the partnership, residents will be able to use the free Kulpa app to upload and share photographs, videos, audio recordings, screenshots and other digital files directly with Westward using their own devices.
The platform is designed to preserve the integrity and provenance of evidence, allowing material to be used in subsequent investigations, enforcement action or legal proceedings where necessary.
It also means residents can share evidence without having to hand over their phones or other devices, while giving Westward authenticated material to support housing cases, injunction applications or criminal prosecutions.
The new service will complement Westward’s existing approach to tackling anti-social behaviour, with officers working alongside residents to gather information and agree the most appropriate response. Residents will remain in control of what they choose to share and when.
Simon Franc, founder and chief executive of Kulpa, said: “Housing providers see harm early, often before anyone else does. Westward already has a fast response and works closely with residents to agree the appropriate action.
“Kulpa builds on this and gives residents a simple and secure way to evidence what they are experiencing and share it directly with Westward, helping its teams understand what is happening and take appropriate action, while ensuring that evidence is properly preserved if the case needs to go further.”
Stephen Lodge, chief executive of Westward Housing Group, said: “Too often, residents living with anti-social behaviour or abuse tell us they have evidence but no safe way to get it to us. Kulpa closes that gap.
“We regularly hear from customers about the impact that anti-social behaviour can have on their lives and communities. Kulpa provides a safe and secure way for residents to share clear, factual evidence with us, helping us to investigate concerns more effectively and support our work to build safer, stronger and more cohesive neighbourhoods.”
Steve Darling, MP for Torbay, also welcomed the partnership, saying: “Anti-social behaviour can have a lasting impact on individuals, families and communities, leaving residents feeling unsafe in their own homes. It is vital that people have the confidence to report incidents and know that their concerns will be taken seriously.
“I welcome this partnership between Kulpa and Westward Housing, which will make it easier for residents to securely share evidence of anti-social behaviour and other offences. By giving housing providers the tools to investigate incidents more effectively and take appropriate action, initiatives like this can make a real difference in helping to create safer communities across Torbay and the wider South West.”
The Kulpa app is free to residents and can be downloaded through the Apple App Store and Google Play.