Council announce new squad for Hammersmith Broadway
A new squad of police will begin patrolling Hammersmith town centre, starting today (April 6) at a cost of £1.1m, the Council have announced.
The move comes following the successful trial of two 24/7 squads in Fulham and Shepherd's Bush, which has now been extended.
Councillor Greg Smith, H&F Council Cabinet Member for Crime & Street Scene, said the pilot scheme had proved its worth:
“We have seen crime tumble in the two town centres with extra beat Bobbies. This combined with more traditional beat policing is the only way to tackle Britain’s growing epidemic of booze-fuelled town centre crime.”
The Council say that in the 18 months to November 2008, 975 arrests were made by local beat Bobbies in Fulham and Shepherd's Bush town centres and this is what they are hoping to replicate in Hammersmith.
“Together with the Metropolitan Police we have examined the data and the two trials are now evolving into three, with a sharper focus on peak times when we know crime is more likely,” said Cllr Smith.
H&F Police Borough Commander, Detective Chief Superintendent Kevin Hurley says a visible police presence in town centres has already made a significant difference: “Having a permanent presence of foot patrol officers has paid dividends for the public in reducing offences like robbery and car crime. It has also resulted in a big increase in arrests for drug offences. I am now receiving many favourable comments from residents about how both these areas seem safer now – they are right, it is.
“Rough drinkers have been reduced and drug dealing is all but gone around these town centres. That is why we are so keen to work with the council to put yet more officers out on foot patrol – this time in the Hammersmith Broadway area.
However, when the 24/7 patrols were first introduced two years ago, Cllr Stephen Cowan, leader of the local Labour Group, said the scheme had meant the removal of policing resources from central Hammersmith. In February 2007, HammersmithToday also reported that the Conservative Council had voted down Labour’s plans to give the five wards with the highest crime 24/7 Police Task Squads.
On hearing of the new police squad for Hammersmith town centre, Cllr Cowan told us: "This is not enough, as it is not the extra 24/7 Police Task Squad we (along with local residents and businesses) have been publicly campaigning for since 2006 and have committed to deliver if elected to form the next Administration in 2010. While it is good to know that our campaign is working, it cannot be right that, three years ago, the Conservatives actually removed all Council funding to the Hammersmith Broadway police team, causing an 25% reduction in police numbers - and that this is the neighbourhood with the highest rates of crime in the borough.
“I am grateful to the residents and local businesses who worked with us, helped hand out leaflets and generally raised awareness of the need for sufficient police in Hammersmith but the Conservatives are only now providing extra cover for 18 hours a day, 6 days a week. We think this cover should be 24/7, which is why, at the last annual budget meeting, I told the Leader of the Council to "Read my lips - we will do more than you to provide extra police, fight crime and address residents' fears". To put this into some perspective it's worth noting that up until this year the Tories only spent £750k on policing out of £189million budget. This is far less than they spend on the advertising, PR and propaganda as well as a wide range of other wasteful priorities. While they have marginally increased this figure this year, it is a long way from providing sufficient investment to deliver the big falls in crime that I know residents, businesses and the police want to see. I'm sorry to say that this is too little to late."
6 April 2009
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