Safer Communities is the main aim for the deployment of

• Police officers by the Metropolitan Police
• Tower Hamlets Task Force provided by Police funded by Tower Hamlets Council
• Enforcement officers by Tower Hamlets Council

All community safety can be scrutinized.

Anti Social Behaviour ASB

With Anti Social Behaviour ASB we have dedicated Council and Police Report systems. Failure to act can be queried by using the ‘Community Trigger’.

Ward Panels

Tower Hamlets Police can be held to account by the Ward Panels, set up for the purpose of regular meetings to discuss local policing priorities.

The last time a Ward Panel Strategy was officially agreed was on 26. July 2021. Following the Covid19 pandemic, more electronic communications were agreed to counter the inability to meet in person.

The OWL mailing list was used to contact subscribers with

• requests for surveys
• newsletters
• engagement events
• crime prevention.

With the closure of OWL, this mailing list has disappeared.

According to the Ward Panel Action Plan up-date

“All ward panel meetings are advertised on the MPS website and on social media: Twitter and OWL”.

“The action plan aims to ensure ward panels are more inclusive and representative of the community.”

“Collaborative approach by the SNB, ward panels and the Police to publicise the visibility of ward panels”

Our requests to advertise ward panels more widely are slowly being granted.

The Ward Panel Handbook, clearly explains the duty of local law enforcement to meet with residents for the purpose of scrutiny.

Safer Communities report

S92 Police Act 2006 Agreement with the Metropolitan
Police Service ( MPS) for Tower Hamlets Police Teams

The report Keith Stanger, Safer Communities lead for Tower Hamlets has produced clearly states:

“The funding for these police officers is not from the general fund but
sourced from the Housing Revenue Account and tenants/leaseholder
charges. This will remain the case. However, the new S.92 agreement
includes supply of both of the teams. This now forms a significant
policing additional asset for the Council totalling 4 sergeants and 22
constables. They are now branded as the “Tower Hamlets Taskforce”.
Without this amalgamated approach, the resources will be utilised much
more effectively through the existing joint tasking process that is in
place. The overall taskforce will have a whole borough remit although
we are very aware that through tasking, provision will remain for those
officers funded via the HRA and leaseholder charges to meet their
obligations to Tower Hamlets Housing residents and leaseholders.”

The Tower Hamlets Grants Determination sub-committee will decide on 5. February 2025 whether to agree this further funding of Police Officers for the borough. Link to document

Scrutiny of law enforcement

Whichever type of law enforcement, we pay for all of them directly through leaseholder charges or Council tax.

We are currently contacting all key stakeholders to increase community engagement and publish all Ward Panel meetings and survey all residents who are unable to attend in person.

Hate Crime

Tower Hamlets Council has a special Hate Crime Department, with a Hate Crime Panel that meets regularly.

The incidences of hate crime are measured. We think that all wards must have a hate crime representative attending their ward panel at least once a year. The ability to train as hate crime champion enables local residents to make a positive contribution to their community.

SNT Newsletters

We have 20 wards and 20 SNT teams but their presence on social media has been reduced. Not all 20 Safer Neighbourhood Teams publish regular newsletters.

We publish all known newsletters on our website. With the closure of OWL, police no longer email them out to people.

If you wish to join our mailing list, please sign up.

If you want to become a member, we ask you apply please.