Community spirit

I've lived in the same area of Swansea for over eighteen years, but I've never actively participated in community events. I decided to change the habit of nearly half a lifetime last night. I attended a local PACT meeting, which was immediately followed by a Residents' Association meeting. It was nice to come across local residents who share my concerns about anti-social and criminal activity in the area.

The PACT meeting gave me a chance to meet the neighbourhood policing team, and share a few concerns with the local PCSO. I also became acquainted with one of the local councillors, and she took details of my complaint about the amount of broken glass littering the pavements around here, and the general lack of street cleansing carried out by the council. Not only have I finally developed a bit of community spirit, but it seems I may be taking an interest in local politics. That's so not me! Perhaps the aliens visited me on Wednesday night, and replaced my brain with someone else's.

The way I see it, there's no point in me moaning about the druggies and scumbags who are ruining my neighbourhood, unless I'm prepared to try to do something about it. We have a real problem in my neighbourhood at the moment, with drug addicts injecting in alleyways and parks, and drug dealers openly conducting business on some streets.

People around here are sick of it, because the mindless minority are creating a lot of fear and discomfort in the neighbourhood. The police are cracking down, thankfully, but for every scumbag they put in prison, it seems another five pop up in his or her place. Fingers crossed the parks and green spaces around here will soon be free of junkies and their needles, which are often left lying where kids could get hold of them. Anyway, that's my Victor Meldrew-esque moan for the day over with!