We were attending our first Citizens’ Assembly for Beckton and West Silvertown. The room was packed with civil servants, members of the public, Council people and officers of the law. During the proceedings everyone was given the chance to open up a dialogue. Here was a real chance to discuss matters arising from a range local issues and area projects.
The atmosphere was warm and friendly; broadly speaking, projects initiated since the previous Assembly were warmly welcomed. Members of the community praised the work of local officials. But when one man introduced a note of disagreement, the atmosphere suddenly became less welcoming.
This local resident, who did not wish to be recorded or photographed, said that he feels his community isn’t safe. He cited rampant fly-tipping, the presence of drug dealers and what amounted to the absence of law enforcement. When he directed his concerns to the officers in the room, the chair of the meeting jumped in to say that such things could not be discussed at the moment.
But if not then, when? It seemed like the man was being silenced.
If a genuine concern can be so quickly dismissed during a function which claims to address the concerns of the community, what is the purpose, exactly? It’s all very well dealing with less controversial topics in an open manner, but closing down criticism of the police for not doing their job properly, falls a long way short of transparency.
If we are to build a better community then we must trust one another, not push controversy to the sidelines where it will fester and potentially become something uglier.
