Tower Hamlets Crime Watch remind you to report directly to Metropolitan Police and not to THEOs or Met Engage.
Overview of crime
Tower Hamlets
Please keep reporting to Police directly; to achieve even better results for Tower Hamlets do NOT report crimes to THEOs who have very limited powers. See table of details.
Both boroughs of Hackney and Tower Hamlets form the Central East BCU
MOPAC statistics on hate crime show CE BCU (Tower Hamlets/Hackney) 4th worst in London see also our March newsletter
Newham
Westminster
City of London
City of London does not produce the same type statistics as the Met Police.
Interactive Crime map
Check your area crime rates with this interactive crime map https://www.adt.co.uk/crime-in-my-area
Keep reporting to reduce crime in Tower Hamlets further.
Please do not make the mistake to report crime to Tower Hamlets THEO officers. They have no sufficient powers and you cannot rely on them passing on your reports to police.
We have compiled a table to show you the comparison of powers between Met Police PCSO and Tower Hamlets THEO officers. Of course PC officers from Met Police and higher have even more powers.
| Aspect | PCSOs | THEOs |
| Employer | Metropolitan Police | Tower Hamlets Council |
| Wages | PCSO start ~33,000 PC start £42,210 | THEO start # £36,000 THEO annual £42,720 |
| Core Focus | Neighbourhood Policing, ASB, minor offences, intelligence gathering | ASB, environmental crimes, drug outreach, community support |
| Standard Powers | 20+ (e.g. 30 min. detention, vehicle stops, litter fines, alcohol seizure. | Limited CSAS (e.g., name/address requirement, fines for ASB or environmental issues) |
| Arrest/Detention | limited detention up to 30 mins, request police arrest | None |
| Search powers | None (cannot stop a. search) | None |
| Enforcement tools | Fixed penalties, notices, some equipment (e.g., handcuffs in select forces) | Fixed penalties, seizures, injunction support; no equipment like sprays |
| Training | 4-11 weeks, incl. use of force, evidence handling, radio procedure | Community safety, first aid, outreach; no mandatory policing training |
| Scope | broader policing integration; can support crime scenes, traffic surveys | Council-led, patrols with police but focused on local bylaws and referrals |
| Limitations | No full arrest, interviews, or high-risk tasks | Narrower, non-police remit; cannot handle civil disorder independently |
Tower Hamlets Crime Watch 