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Safer Neighbourhoods Interview |
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What is community policing?
As shown on the Safer Neighbourhoods banner above, “Local Police Local Knowledge”. The people who live and work in Barnet want their police officers to be familiar, visible and accessible. The Safer Neighbourhood teams provide a highly visible presence, always patrolling in uniform, nearly always on foot patrol. The teams are ring fenced from any abstractions to ensure they build up and maintain local familiarity and confidence. The public are provided a list of contact numbers and e-mail addresses so they can contact their local teams.
What is a Safer Neighbourhood Team? Where do they work?
Each team will consist of 1 PS, 2 PCs and 3 PCSOs. They will each be allocated a ward. Barnet current teams are in Colindale, Burnt Oak, and Childs Hill. The five new teams for 2005 will be working in Edgware, West Hendon, East Finchley, High Barnet and East Barnet
What do the Safer Neighbourhoods Teams do?
The teams focus on the key issues as highlighted by the people who live and work in each ward. There is a yearly consultation and engagement process to identify a number of local priorities. Once identified the teams work in partnership with residents, businesses, key opinion former and our partners such as the council and LFB to tackle these key issues. The issues highlighted are street crime and burglary. They tend to be local quality-of-life crimes such as vandalism and anti-social behaviour issues such as youth disorder, the sort of crimes and behaviour that affect the day-to-day lives of a community.
Have the Safer Neighbourhood teams been successful?
Barnet first three teams commenced in April 2004. The feedback from residents, businesses and key opinion formers in Burnt Oak, Colindale and Childs Hill wards has been very positive. There has been increased police visibility and accessibility and as a result, greater reassurance. The teams have been involved in numerous initiatives tackling the local priorities relevant to each ward. The teams have been responsible for obtaining ASBOs against Prolific offenders, tackling issues of Graffiti, youth disorder and reducing retail crime in shopping areas. The teams have supported action to close drugs premises and reduce burglary in their wards. They have worked closely with the council Anti-Social Behaviour Action Team to successfully tackle a variety of problems using injunctions, evictions and Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABCs).
How can the public participate?
Members of the public are actively asked to engage with the teams. Each ward will have a Community action panel (CAP). This will be made up of ordinary members of the public who use and live within the ward. They will set the priorities for each Team. The public can attend a variety of meetings, action panels, Neighbourhood watches and business watches. They can become Part of the Key individual network (KIN); these are key opinion formers who are used as a Barometer as to whether the teams are being effective with their priorities. |
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Safer browsing on the net |
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Safer Neighbourhoods 
