Community confidence boost as partnership initiatives take hold, says Chair of MPA

34/01
5 June 2001

Community confidence and reassurance is hard won and easily lost, Toby Harris, Chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority, said Tuesday 5 June 2001.

Speaking at the Private Security and Safer Communities conference at Russell Square House, in London, he said:

"Some would argue that as far as community confidence is concerned, it is currently at its lowest ebb.

"Year after year events happen, perceptions are formulated, violent crime increases, confidence is knocked, battered and finally erased."

He said that there were numerous examples of how quality of life had been eroded in our neighbourhoods through crime, and through a decline in respect for public institutions and the police.

But he said communities, the police and others were working hard through positive partnerships to develop initiatives which were already making a difference to quality of life. These include Neighbourhood Watch, Crimestoppers and Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships, set up to reduce vehicle crime, domestic burglary and street robbery.

Another important and recent development is the Neighbourhood Wardens initiative, set up in residential areas to work with others on crime prevention, environmental improvements, community development and housing management.

'Historically, many schemes have adopted a quasi-police role and this has influenced the perceptions of the public and the media,' Toby Harris said. 'But schemes must be locally run and reflect the needs of the local community, complementing policing, not competing with it.'

A number of London boroughs are now in the process of recruiting Neighbourhood Wardens and others are looking at how similar schemes might benefit their communities.

Toby Harris said that hard to reach groups which feel excluded through crime and the fear of crime should be actively encouraged to take part in Neighbourhood Warden schemes. He also said schemes could help boost police numbers.

'Recruitment to warden schemes may include those who might not otherwise consider a job in law enforcement. This may act as a springboard for future recruitment, an interesting spin-off.'

And commenting on the development of 'private policing', Toby Harris said that working in partnership and putting extra resources into boroughs was a more realistic way of restoring confidence and reassuring communities.

'Over the next 12 months in London we are recruiting an extra 1,050 police officers to work in our boroughs and increase patrols of our neighbourhoods. This will not only deter crime, but also help reassure people.'

Notes to editors

London boroughs currently recruiting for Neighbourhood Wardens are: Barnet, Hackney, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Lewisham, Merton and Southwark. Four further boroughs were awarded funding in February following further development of their bids to run schemes. They are Havering, Islington, Sutton and Tower Hamlets.

The Metropolitan Police Authority took over responsibility for the Metropolitan Police Service from the Home Secretary on 3 July 2000.

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