A new Neighbourhood Enforcement and Treatment team (NET) has helped to drive down local crime and antisocial behaviour, according to a report welcomed at Cabinet this week (Wednesday 9 February).
Since it was rolled out across the whole borough in April 2021, the PTF has undertaken more than 9,000 hours of uniformed patrols, issued nearly 200 antisocial behaviour warnings, conducted 376 stop and searches and made 53 detections for possession of drugs or possession with intent to supply.
The report details how the Tower Hamlets Community Safety Partnership has continued to make Tower Hamlets a safer borough over the last 12 to 18 months, highlighting progress across four priority areas:
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Tackle hate crime, community tensions and extremism
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Reduce violence and safeguard those at risk of violence and exploitation.
The NET consists of council officers and council-funded police officers, also known as the Partnership Task Force (PTF). The new model puts greater emphasis on visible policing and responding to residents’ concerns.
John Biggs, Mayor of Tower Hamlets, said: “I’m committed to making Tower Hamlets a safer place. This report shows how the council is making a difference to residents by working with our partners to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour.
“We’ve seen great results from our Neighbourhood Enforcement and Treatment team. On top of this our new budget plans invest additional money into community safety and protect funding for council-funded police officers, so residents see more bobbies on the beat’’
The report also highlights work done to engage and advise on nitrous oxide following the introduction of a borough-wide Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in April 2021, which prohibits antisocial behaviour associated with nitrous oxide use. To date, officers have issued 60 fines in line with the council’s PSPO.
Also outlined in the report is council’s significant investment towards tackling substance misuse and helping people into treatment and recovery from addiction. This work has been supported through a £1million funding package through Project ADDER, which is testing a whole-system approach to tackling drug misuse and drug-related crime.
Councillor Sirajul Islam, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, said: “We know that crime and antisocial behaviour are a top concern for our residents. Our teams are busy year-round to keep our borough safe, and this report highlights all the work we are doing, both on the ground, but also behind the scenes.
“We are working closely with our police partners to increase high-visibility patrols and target criminals, but also to make sure people can access support when they need it.
“I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved together over the past year and a half and look forward to seeing what the partnership will deliver over the coming months.”
The council’s award-winning Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) team continues to offer support for victims of domestic abuse and improve women’s safety, offering training sessions to encourage male allyship and reporting of abuse.
Recently, the council appointed two Women’s Night-Time Safety Champions to tackle violence against women and help to make more women feel confident in the borough after dark.
The report further highlights the council’s CCTV Transformation Programme, a £3.1million investment to upgrade the whole CCTV network to new digital technology, which will increase visibility and allow the council to better support the police and tackle crime.
Between April and June last year, 254 criminal incidents were detected by the council’s CCTV, leading to 43 arrests. 12 arrests were also made from 42 wanted vehicles linked to serious crime.
The full report can be read online
To report crime, visit www.met.police.uk
To report ASB, visit www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/asb
Posted on Wednesday 16th February 2022