Agenda item

Councillor Sue Lukes, Executive Member Community Safety and Jonathan Gallagher Community Safety were present and outlined the presentation, copy interleaved

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

·         Noted overall crime has fallen by 2.4% in 2021 compared to 2020 and Islington has recorded  reductions across all acquisitive crime categories in 2021 compared to 2020

·         Islington recorded a 3.5% reduction in youth violence in 2022 compared to 2020

·         Islington recorded a 9.1% increase in Violence against the person in 2021 compared to 2020, and larger increases in violence against the person and sexual offences, and Islington were ranked as 21 out of 32 MPS boroughs for both offences

·         There have been significant and sustained knife crime reduction, proactive work in Safe spaces and Women’s safety conversations, increase in domestic abuse survivors being supported and committed to increasing safe havens

·         Services have seen increase in demand and complexity of cases. Need to review ASB strategy. Is an ongoing impact of the pandemic on serious youth violence and a new strategy will be introduced

·         Police response – increased Neighbourhood Policing teams in Finsbury Park, Junction and Caledonian wards. Violence suppression unit to target high harm offenders and violence hotspots. Cross border and council partnerships in Finsbury Park and EC1. Multi agency offender management programme and investment of officers embedded in Council. Regular weapons sweeps, safer schools delivery of violence/knife awareness programmes, enhanced VAWG policing plan in Finsbury Park/Blackstock Road

·         Knife crime trends – sustained reduction over 3 years attributed to Integrated Gangs team, partnership approach to youth offending, out of court disposal scrutiny panel, and introduction of the No Knife scheme to promote shops who do not sell knives

·         Noted the achievements, impact, focus and challenges of the youth crime in relation to youth safety

·         Noted the achievements, impact, of VAWG and women’s safety and safety on streets

·         Wider community safety – delivered over 50 separate multi-agency projects to reduce ASB and crime in the borough – an increase of over 40%, early intervention and co-ordination briefings, ASB early intervention scheme, MARAC support to complex ASB cases, effective tri-borough operational group to tackle crime and ASB in Finsbury Park area, increase in mobile CCTV

·         Hate crime – increased confidence in reporting is a key priority, reduction at transport hubs and an increase in residential areas. Successful hate crime awareness week

·         Rough sleeping – continued reductions, multi-agency work to manage risk of harm to know street based drug users. Seeking further funding initiatives to develop the offer. Noted street outreach service contract comes to an end shortly and there will be a procurement process taking place to identify the future service provider

·         Exploitation and extremism – noted initiatives on modern day slavery, Prevent

·         Noted that there is a cross borough policing plan in place and a violence suppression unit had been put in place

·         Noted that there was a local prevention plan to reduce pedal crime

·         Noted that initiatives were in place to train people in the community about domestic abuse and this had taken place at the Mosque, schools etc.

·         Noted that as a result of consultation residents had stated that improved street lighting would make them feel safer and this was being looked at

·         There is a ward panel improvement plan in place

·         In response to a question as to security checks at C&I college it was stated that students needed to feel safe, however it was noted that no strip searches had taken place in LBI schools

·         Reference was made to the successful op Perch in Blackstock Road and that this was a good example of cross borough policing

·         Discussion took place as to the use of CCTV cameras in relation to reducing drug dealing and that it was felt that this should be utilised more. It was noted that there are more mobile CCTB cameras than previously, however there is the need to be ahead of crime developing

·         In response to a question as to stop and search it was stated that these details could be found on the MPS data set

·         Reference was made to young people being diverted from custody, and it was stated that details of this could be provided following the meeting

·         It was stated that mobile CCTV had worked well when there were problems on the Quadrant Estate

·         A Member stated that in future it would be useful if demographics could be included in the statistics

RESOLVED:

That information relating to the issue above on youth being diverted from custody be provided to Members following the meeting

The Chair thanked Councillor Lukes and Jonathan Gallagher for attending