Agenda item

Nick Davies, Islington Police, and Councillor Andy Hull, Executive Member Finance, Performance and Community Safety were present for discussion of this item and made a presentation thereon.(Copy interleaved)

During consideration of the presentation the following main points were made –

·         Snatch offences were at their lowest number monthly since August 2014, There has been a 50% reduction in the past 12 months compared to the same period in the previous year

·         This has led to a 7% reduction in total crime between 1 October 2017 and 30 September 2018 compared to the same period in the previous year. Islington was ranked 11^th out of 32 MPS boroughs for all crime. Across the MPS there was a 2% increase

·         Serious youth violence recorded a reduction of 16 offences compared to the same period in the previous year, and Islington was ranked 20^th.out of 32 MPS boroughs

·         There has been a 15% increase in burglary offences in the past 12 months, compared to the same period the previous year, although levels are lower than earlier in 2018. Islington are currently ranked 4^th out of 32 MPS boroughs

·         There has been a 14% increase in knife crime compared to the same period in the previous year, however there has been an 11% reduction in knife crime with injury (non-domestic abuse and where the victim is aged under 25)

·         There has been a sustained reduction in knife crime injuries under 25: down 10.7% and a 49.7% reduction in theft snatch offences

·         Serious youth violence is down 6.9% and the reduction in young people receiving custodial sentences has reduced from 30 in 2016/17 to 17 2017/18

·         There has been a very positive focused visit on Islington’s work with vulnerable adolescents in May 2016 and through partnership interventions and support have disrupted a concerning new group/gang in the borough

·         Challenges include – increase in prevalence and complaints re drug dealing and concern re: a possible escalation in gang tension/violence – increase in robbery offences, (slightly less than the London wide increase), gangs constantly evolving and trying new methods and techniques, and the London wide context of increase in violent crime, including record number of stabbing

·         Future work/Opportunities include – delivery of contextual safeguarding approach in hot spot areas, opportunities to work with the new Pan London County Lines Response and Rescue service, Camden and Islington Citizens Civil Society Commission on Violence, and further development of trauma informed approach across the Council and partners

·         Violence against Women and Girls – Samira BAMER DVA project supported 124 survivors since April 2018 and delivered 82 awareness raising sessions – Solace IDVA service worked with 423 victims – the new Keel Prototype multi agency team launching this autumn will test a new way of working with families affected by DVA – FGM Risk assessment tool launched recently – November White Ribbon campaign this year the focus in on DVA on Children and Young People

·         Challenges are increasing criminal justice outcomes for survivors, sustaining funding for projects, such as IRIS in the longer term and increasing awareness of DVA among young people

·         Future work/opportunities include a healthy relationship event for primary school children in January, evaluation of the Anchor and next steps, Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance accreditation, and the implementation of the Keel prototype team

·         ASB Challenges and Future work – calls from repeat callers are falling rapidly due to the new repeat caller process, Community MARAC has received 25 referrals against an annual target of 36 and significant progress has been made with MacDonalds, Uber, Eats and other companies to address moped delivery driver related ASB. ASB warning notices are now live for Police only. Challenges and future work include – significant rise in complaints related to open drug dealing in a variety of sites across the borough, Council to start issuing ASB warning notices via Parkguard, where appropriate and the work with LFB to support ‘Safe Drive’, Stay Alive’ scheme. Also to continue to identify and sign up Safe Haven sites across the borough, in conjunction with TYS and other partners

·         Hate Crime – progress in supporting a range of events that took place ont eh anniversary of the Finsbury Park terrorist attack, 300+ organisations have now signed the Islington Hate Crime pledge, 400+ people have completed the Hate Crime Awareness online training and Community Safety are working in partnership with Islington Learning Disabilities Partnership to address Hate Crime directly with service users

·         Challenges and future work include – National Hate Awareness week took place in October. Joint event with Arsenal and two primary schools, as well as a catalogue of other activity in Islington. Continue to increase uptake in the Hate Crime Awareness training with more focus on getting young people to undertake the training and ensure hate crime dip sampling reflects and focuses on all of the Hate Crime strands

·         Prevent– Progress includes Prevent training delivered to over 200 Council, NHS and Arsenal staff and a range of other professionals, funding in place for 2018/19 and project focused on education establishments and supporting parents. Also briefings on the extreme far right wer successfully delivered to the Hate Crime Forum and Arsenal staff/pub landlords. A few cases have been referred to the Channel Panel and there has been alignment with the recommendations issued following lessons learned from the Parsons Green attack

·         Challenges and future work include – planning the rollout of the project – most of this work will become active in September when the schools reopen, briefings on the extreme far right are to be delvered to probation, YOS/TYS staff and members of Islington Pubwatch, In addition the delivery of the new Contest strategy, issued in June 2018, which reaffirms that prevention and safeguarding are the primary objectives. The Home Office are also proposing changes to the roles of Councils – Operation Dovetail and Operation Constraint

·         Reference was made to the drug dealing in Finsbury Park that had taken place in the Summer and was a concern to residents. Work was taking place with the Police cross borough to do some more joined up work and that a profile is being established of the drug dealing taking place. Work is also taking place with BT on phone boxes that are being used for drug dealing

·         It was noted that work is also taking place with companies relating to the use of mopeds delivering take aways in drug dealing activity

·         Whilst robbery offences were up there had been a significant drop in robbery in the past few months and it was felt that those committing robberies were a different cohort to those committing offences on mopeds

·         Members expressed the view that drug dealing was linked to other crime types and this should be made a Policing priority

·         Discussion took place as to the hate crime figures and that these had dropped over the previous year, however there were some hate crime types that were on the increase. There had been a rise in anti-semitic hate crime, and there were often ‘multi flagging’ of hate crimes. It was noted that work is taking place with faith groups to ensure they are prepared for any hate crime issues

·         Reference was made to the need to raise community awareness of reporting crime and to publicise the successes of the Police in combating crime and convictions of criminals

·         Good progress has been made on theft snatch and some arrests had been made and it was felt that these had deterred others from committing theft

·         Discussion took place as to the reduction in Police numbers due to Government funding reductions and whether this has had an impact on rising crime. It was stated that there was significant drug dealing taking place in Islington and Camden and that this was a factor in the increase in violent crime. There had been a number of arrests in Camden relating to drug dealing, and Police numbers had reduced and there were currently 60/70 vacant posts. However, violent crime is being prioritised

·         Discussion took place as to the successful work in disrupting the work of the N19 gang in Archway/Tufnell Park, and that work had taken place with individuals, together with group work, to divert them away from crime

RESOLVED:

(a)  That Finsbury Park ward Councillors be informed of the initiatives taking place in the ward relating to drug dealing in the area and cross borough boundary policing work

(b)  That consideration be given to the use of electronic noticeboards to inform residents of the need to report crime and the successes of the Police in tackling crime in the borough

The Chair thanked Nick Davies, Councillor Hull and Keith Stanger for attending