TELCO/Norlington school inquiry

Report: 5
Date: 23 January 2001
By: Clerk

Summary

This report is presented to inform members of the progress on the recommendations in the Norlington Enquiry into street crime in Waltham Forest, and proposes a process for MPA continuing involvement in this community initiative.

A. Supporting information

The East London Communities Organisation (TELCO)

1. The East London Communities Organisation supported the Norlington Boys School wish to undertake an inquiry into the serious rise in street muggings in the vicinity of the school. These attacks were usually committed by young people on young people and often in broad day light - sometimes for money or goods, but mostly for mobile phones.

2. The local police had noted this trend and identified a 32% increase in reported muggings on the previous year. This pattern of youth-on-youth crime was reported in other London boroughs.

3. The inquiry conducted its work from September to November 2000, and met with local community leaders, MPA members, senior police officers the Mayor and Deputy Mayor for London as well as the Commissioner of the MPS.

4. As a result of the inquiry, the representatives from TELCO presented an outline of their findings at the CDO Committee meeting of 26 October at which the Chair undertook that the CDO Committee would maintain an interest in and links with the project.

Report recommendations

5. The report highlights eight recommendations that are specifically targeted towards the MPA and Waltham Forest Borough police (attached at appendix 1). The borough police Commander is a member of TELCO, and is continuing to progress a number of the recommendations.

6. The MPS has given a detailed response to the MPA on the recommendations in the TELCO report. This is attached at appendix 2.

7. Those recommendations that are more strategic and fall into the remit of the MPA deal with a wide range of operational and policy issues which are being pursued through other broader initiatives. They include the Commissioner’s Youth diversion strategies group which will be seeking to pilot youth diversion strategies to assess their effectiveness and learning potential for the MPA and MPS and other agencies working with young people who have entered or are on the verge of entering the criminal justice system.

B. Recommendation

That members note the progress being made locally by Waltham Forest borough police on the report recommendations.

C. Financial implications

There are no financial implications associated with this report.

D. Review arrangements

None proposed

E. Background papers

The following is a statutory list of background papers (under the Local Government Act 1972 S.100 D) which disclose facts or matters on which the report is based and which have been relied on to a material extent in preparing this report. They are available on request to either the contact officer listed above or to the Clerk to the Police Authority at the address indicated on the agenda.

None.

F. Contact details

The author of this report is Julia Smith.

For information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

Appendix 1: Recommendations from the TELCO Report for the Metropolitan Police Authority and Waltham Forest Borough Police

1. That examples of good policing practice on managing street crime in other London Boroughs (Greenwich and Kingston particularly) be shared more fully through the Met's own 'Safer Streets' campaign.

2. The MPA to consider the West Midlands Police's commitment to 'micro~policing' whereby 'beat' police have very small areas to cover (2/3 streets in high crime areas) and a directory is published for residents with the names of each local police officer. That these officers also include a very close working relationship with any schools, youth clubs, congregations etc. on their patch.

3. Police cars and beat police to be visible around the Borough’s schools between 3.30 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. each day and that officers work closely with local Neighbourhood Watch Groups and Traders associations to ensure community vigilance and presence at this time of each day in term time.

4. Police to regularly brief schools and parents on the best ways of avoiding mugging and what to do if attacked. Third Party reporting sites to be well publicised and young people encouraged to report crimes and intimidation. More ways of avoiding being too exposed as a witness in the judicial process need to be developed in order to encourage victims. of crime to come forward.

5. That if the Enquiry proposal re. extra staffing for the MPA is accepted by government~ then Waltham Forest be allocated an extra 135 police officers for adding to the 'beat' police officers on our streets and in our neighbourhoods.

6. That the 'Special Robbery Team' include a crime analyst as a key member and that they identify patterns of crime which develop and patterns of criminal behaviour.

7. That the MPA offer their full support to the Mayor with his aim of increasing the staff on buses and trains - particularly for his plan to put a bus conductor on every bus in London

8. That the Met use 'fast tracing' techniques much more to track down a stolen mobile phone and its carrier as Soon as it is stolen and before the SIM card can be changed. That this be piloted in Waltham Forest and any arrests as a result of this rapid response to be fully publicised.

Send an e-mail linking to this page

Feedback