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 check the advice about this issue.

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 Covid 19 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.

Police now use Met Engage instead go to the Safer Neighbourhoods Page, choose your ward and sign up if you wish or just read the messages for your ward by clicking Met Engage.

According to the Ward Panel Action Plan up-date

“All ward panel meetings are advertised on the MPS website and on [Met Engage].

“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”

I distribute the meeting information widely via several social media channels achieving widespread distribution.

The Ward Panel Handbook, clearly explains the duty of local law enforcement to meet with residents for the purpose of scrutiny. This latest version has not yet been published for general public use. I have requested that Police put it on their website.

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.

I am 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.

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.

I publish all known newsletters on this 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.