Online Question and Answer Session on Community Safety

An online meeting was held with Cllr Kam Rai, Leader of Redbridge Council, and Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell - Borough Commander for the North and East Area, on Monday 20 January 2025.

The meeting was a platform for local residents to learn about the most effective ways to report specific issues, understand the process of handling reported information, and grasp the distinct roles the Council and Police play in community safety and partnership work.

A recording of the meeting, which contains all the discussed information, is readily available for your viewing below. 

These are some of the questions asked by local people in the online meeting and the responses provided by the Police and Council.

Drugs:

What is being done to tackle drug dealing in Redbridge? 

The Police do a range of things to tackle drug dealing, including drug warrants on identified drug premises and proactive operations to target drug dealers.

Additionally, when specific drug dealing problems and areas are reported, such as Ilford Town Centre, the Police will use the dedicated team to have a visible presence to act as a deterrent.It is essential that drug dealing and drug taking are reported so an intelligence picture can be built and an effective response and patrols can be put in place.  

Town centres: 

I am concerned about the level of shoplifting in Ilford and worried it puts off businesses? 

We have a duty to try and enforce against this crime; there are several things that we are doing across the partnership. We're working closely with the Business Improvement District to listen to retailers and provide support that will make shoplifting less likely to happen.   

Phone snatching has become alarmingly common in Redbridge, with many residents feeling unsafe even in busy areas. Why does it seem that this issue isn't a priority for the Council or Police, and what specific actions are being taken to deter offenders, such as undercover operations or stricter penalties? 

Phone snatching is a problem across London, and statistics don’t show a recent increase in this issue, but we are aware of the fear residents feel. We are working to address the fear of the problem alongside proactive work to prevent phone thefts.  We are conducting operations and completing undercover work in the town centre, including plainclothes patrols and observations of what is happening. Again, we highlight the importance of reporting so resources can be allocated effectively and that statistics reflect the actual crime level.

What is your plan to combat the deteriorating crime situation at and around Gants Hill Tube Station. Things are getting worse, not better, and local residents have given up on reporting issues to the police. What additional resourcing are you putting into Gants Hill and when can residents of Gants Hill expect to see a more visible presence there, and offenders behind bars? 

We have almost permanent operations that look at robbery, sexual offences, violence, fear of crime, and public order offences within the area. We have additional police resources, including the British Transport Police and TFL safer transport teams working around the transport hubs. As a result, we've made several arrests, identified prolific criminals, issued drug warrants and uncovered organised criminality.

We also have a local police ward panel that residents can attend and express concerns to officers. It is also important that issues are reported to the police; if they aren’t reported, we cannot factor these issues into our resource allocation response.  

Are officers who hand out fixed penalty notices/fines incentivised to meet financial targets? 

Officers aren't paid incentives or commissions for issuing fines and do not have targets.  

Visibility and operational policing:

How can we see more police walking our streets. And how can we get to know our police officers on a personal level?

Every single ward in Redbridge has a neighbourhood policing team with two constables and a PCSO. The town centre team also has 25 officers working across different shifts. Our town centre team make a lot of arrests, carrying out proactive and undercover operations where police work may not be visible. We also have ward panels in every single ward, which we encourage residents to take part in. These ward panels are a good opportunity to talk to your local police, help shape local policing and set priorities. 

Do the police still have liaison officers in schools, and what are they doing to tackle youth being groomed into gangs outside of schools and on our high streets?

School officers are currently having their roles re-profiled to cover a broader youth engagement remit, extending to additional areas we know children occupy. This has given our Safer Neighbourhoods team increased resources focusing on young people. Schools are responsible for safeguarding their pupils; where crimes or vulnerabilities are identified, the police go in and investigate.

Our education officers are constantly in touch with the headteachers of all schools. We're running school programmes and workshops, discussing healthy relationships and grooming. We also face the challenge of online grooming. We all need to play a part in this, knowing what our children and young people are accessing online, who they're speaking to and highlighting where they can go for help.  

Since the closure of Barkingside Police Station, residents have had to bear the brunt of crime. What is happening regarding the station? Is it still operational, and to what extent? 

We have police resources operating in the station, including local Safer Neighbourhood policing teams that hold local ward panels that residents can engage with.

A significant number of proactive criminal investigation officers are working within the area. Every borough in London has only one 24/7 counter police station, a decision made by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime.

There's been a lot of work recently with the police around Orchard House and bringing a hub to the Orchard Estate. This will essentially be a station, a place for the officers to start and end their days and to be there at times during the day.  

Ward panels: 

Is there an expectation from the council that ward councillors try as much as possible to join the Ward Safer Neighbourhood Police Teams at ward panel meetings with residents, at which crime figures and issues in their ward are discussed? 

We encourage ward councillors to be involved in ward panels, as they are a crucial link between the local elected officials and the police. Ward councillors have a wealth of information about issues experienced by residents. Ward panel meetings are where police officers meet three to four times a year with residents; these panels are designed to discuss local problems, share police crime data at the ward level and set local priorities.

We encourage councillors to attend and share information, and we will look to publish some information on how to join the panels and where they’re located. We want people involved so we can demonstrate to communities that we listen and respond to your concerns at the ward level and allow residents to get to know your police officers. 

Is Gants Hill roundabout split between three ward panels? Nobody seems to takes full accountability for the issues around the roundabout?

A multi-agency problem-solving group has been set up focusing on Gants Hill, allowing all relevant partners to collaborate and produce effective results for residents.

A Public Space Protection Order also allows police and council enforcement officers to fine those caught committing anti-social behaviour.  This aims to stop offences from continuing and act as a deterrent.  

Reporting: 

South Woodford has a serious issue with car theft and graffiti. We encourage crime reporting, but we need to do more; how would you like us to report crime more? 

Crime can be reported online through the Met Police website or Crimestoppers (0800 555 111). Your local Safer Neighbourhood team will have an e-mail address or contact number to which you can report information directly. These local police teams will collect this data and create a plan to resolve the issue.

There are also Report It functions on the Redbridge Council website and the Love Clean Streets app. These will send your submission to the council, who will respond with an e-mail telling you what we have done to tackle this.  

Antisocial behaviour:

What steps can be taken to combat the 'epidemic' of takeaway rubbish being dumped from cars all around the residential streets of the borough? Would a letter to all business owners in Redbridge remind them of their responsibilities to clear up the mess from their store, plus their obligation to remove graffiti, etc., so they feel they know their responsibilities fully? 

We are doing patrols in these areas, and we know they're being reported again. If you're reporting things that create hotspots, officers can decide to put some resources into that this week or into that area. We have officers who can issue fines to those caught littering in our borough, which acts as a deterrent and helps keep the borough cleaner. 

We are also continuing to promote messaging to residents and visitors to Redbridge that these behaviours are not acceptable and that fines will be issued. It is a longer-term piece of work to change attitudes and behaviours. We are working with businesses to address waste issues and will issue warnings and fines to those who are not compliant

Will the council do more to educate people about fly-tipping?

We are continuing our work on fly-tipping; we introduced our Wall of Shame, which seeks to identify those caught fly-tipping in our borough. We are working on educating residents so they know there are recycling centres in the borough where they can take their waste free of charge.  

What are police and councils doing about drinking and begging on the street?  

We do proactive patrols where these behaviours are known to occur and discourage residents from giving money to those begging on our streets. There is access to accommodation; there is access to support services free of charge. We have a Public Space Protection Order which prohibits street drinking in areas of the borough, meaning fines can be issued to those caught drinking.  Our licensing team is conducting increased work to target the retailers supplying street drinkers and issuing warnings to shops to stop selling to known street drinkers. 

What are the police and council doing about people sleeping rough? 

Rough sleeping is a challenge; effective multi-agency working has brought the number of rough sleepers in Redbridge down, safety checks are conducted, and outreach workers will routinely offer support such as drug and alcohol treatment.  We have a large cohort of rough sleepers who are deemed 'No recourse to public funds'. So effectively, that means that the council can't spend money to house those people unless it's severe weather. This situation is due to their immigration status. We have worked on this in the last few years and partnered with the Salvation Army in Ilford, where they have 42 beds. We will take action when rough sleeping is associated with aggressive begging activity. 

What can be done about aggressive e-bikes?  

We're considering enforcing and working to stop these e-bikes on our streets. Our enforcement team have been tasked with putting together a programme to enable us to fine owners or confiscate scooters, getting them off our pavements. 

Violence against women and girls (VAWG):

What are the police and the council doing to tackle VAWG and to ensure the safety of all women and girls in our borough? 

Violence Against Women and Girls remains a priority for both the council and police. The Council's This Has To Stop campaign is a joint communications and enforcement campaign to target the men who are behaving criminally and making women feel unsafe.

We were the first local authority in London to introduce a Public Space Protection Order, issuing a fixed penalty fine for harassment and catcalling in public spaces across Redbridge. Our ‘Walk and Talk’ and ‘Safe to Talk’ initiatives have also increased our engagement with local women.

We launched our Step In programme in schools, which is the educational element of the campaign, which will prevent behaviour from occurring. We are also training frontline staff to be active bystanders and highlight the safe ways to intervene if you witness sexual harassment. We have our Reach Out Domestic Abuse service, which provides support to any victims of domestic abuse over 16, as well as our Open Up behaviour change programme for perpetrators of abuse, which helps them to change their abusive behaviour.

Additional information:

How to contact your local Safer Neighbourhoods Team and get involved in Ward Panels?

Visit the Met Police website.

How to report crime, anti social behaviour and give information?

To report a crime, you can report online via the Met Police website or call the non-emergency line on 101

In an emergency, always dial 999. If you want to give information anonymously, you can contact Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111.

How to get involved in activities to prevent violence against women and girls?

Visit the Met Police website and look up where you live to find out what events are planned.  

Follow Redbridge Police and Redbridge Council on their Whatsapp Channel for updates, information and matters of interest within your local area.