Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed all attendees to the meeting and introductions were made. Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Achilleas Georgiou,

Cllr Stephanos Ioannou, Andrea Clemons, Head of Community Safety, Zarko Krickovic, Community Safety Intelligence Officer, A/Chief Superintendent Simon Crick, BCU Commander and Detective Chief Inspector Sebastian Adjei-Addoh, Met Police.

Members of the Council are invited to identify any disclosable pecuniary, other pecuniary or non-pecuniary interests relevant to the items on the agenda

There were no declarations of interest relevant to items on the agenda.

To receive an update from Chief Inspector Karl Curran.

Chief Inspector Karl Curran presented the update highlighting the following:

·         Operation Boxster is a dedicated operation in the Fore Street area covering both Enfield and Haringey and has been a full-time operation since June 2020.

·         It is an extremely complex matter which requires a long-term strategy and a partnership led approach to try and solve the problem.

·         The presence of sex workers causes significant community harm and impacts on confidence in Police and Local Authorities.

·         The presence of sex work is linked to organised crime, modern slavery, drug use, violence against women, public issues and anti-social behaviour (ASB) from clients’ behaviours.

·         The presentation covered: background and history, changes in policing sew workers, operation objectives, targeting the demand, understanding the reason behind sex work, targeting the right people, working with partners and the blended approach.

·         The reduction of sex workers can not be achieved by enforcement against sex workers by itself. Time and time again it has shown that arrest operations do not get to the root cause of prostitution and any reductions are temporary.

·         Discussions on new working practices with all partners who provide outreach and diversion has taken place. This has led to a blended approach of enforcement and outreach work to encourage sex workers into diversion away from sex work.

·         In addition to the work targeting the problem if street sex workers the unit is also a continuous presence in a high crime area of Enfield. In the last eight months the team has arrested 115 individuals for offences including indecent assault on children, controlling a sex worker, possession of offensive weapons, possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and burglary.

·         Operation Boxster has the highest arrest stop and search figures for a proactive unit on North Area. In addition to the above work the unit has been recognised as an example of good practice across the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

Questions, queries and comments made:

1.    In response to a query on the data, which seemed to show the same cohort engaging with sex workers of the same nationality members were advised that this observation of demographic profiles is recognised. The use of sex workers is very much linked to other criminality and organised crime and these areas are where the targeted work is taking place.

2.    With regards to engagement with partners/agencies and how effective this work has been, it was explained that the key is to understand the reasons behind sex work as each sex worker has a complex history and specialised needs. This then enables targeted intervention by several different outreach organisations which are fully funded by recognised agencies and charitable organisations. By mutual support and sharing of information between all partners the aim is to reduce the number of sex workers and have consistent and sustainable working practices which can be scrutinised and be compliant with national standards.

3.      What is the feeling on the likelihood of making a serious dent in this long-standing problem? Chief Inspector Curran said there is a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

To receive a verbal update from Inspector Jamie Thomas.

Acting Inspector Jamie Thomas presented the update highlighting the following:

·         The term “powered transporters” cover a variety of novel personal transport devices which are mechanically propelled (propelled by a motor) as well as, or instead of, being manually propelled.

·         It includes E-scooters, Segways, hoverboards go-peds, powered unicycles and u-wheels.

·         The definition of “motor vehicle” as set out in the Road Traffic Act 1988 is “any mechanically propelled vehicle intended or adapted for use on roads”. There is case law confirming that powered transporters fall within this definition.

·         As a mechanically propelled vehicle users must comply with various Road Traffic Legislation.

·         Information was provided on crimes involving E-scooters. Between July 1^st  2020 and April 30^th 2021, there were 574 offences such as robberies or assaults carried out by people who were riding e-scooters at the time.

·         It is currently illegal to use privately owned E-scooters on public roads, pavements or cycle lanes and anyone caught breaking the law can expect a £300 fine or six points on their driving licence, immaterial of age.

·         However, the Government is considering whether the law should be changed. As part of this consideration, the Department for Transport introduced legislation in July 2020 to enable rental E-scooter trials to take place on public roads and cycle lanes across the UK. The trial period has now been extended to November 2022 and the Government is therefore awaiting the outcome of these trials before making a decision on whether to change the law. 

·         E-scooter crashes shot up almost 2,800% in London in the first half of 2021 compared to the entirety of 2018, new figures show. There were 258 collisions in the capital in the first six months of last year, according to Met Police data. Across of all of 2018 there were just nine.

·         Speeds on E-scooters are capped at 15.5mph, however they can be modified to go as fast as 70mph.

The following comments/concerns were raised:

1.    It was felt that it was a very strange anomaly that E-scooters could be legally sold by businesses yet illegal for users to ride them on public roads, pavements and cycle lanes. It was agreed that this put the Police in an extremely unacceptable position when trying to deal with this issue.

2.    Superintendent Chris Jones said that this remains a somewhat ‘tricky’ area, as the Police do not want start having to criminalise certain users (e.g. a ten year old child or a parent travelling to and from the school drop off/pick up) therefore he felt there needed to be an education piece around this prior to any enforcement phase.

3.    Members agreed that there is an issue here for encouraging active travel. However, it was felt that if the use of E-scooters on public roads/pavements etc was to become legal, then the speed of them should be capped at approximately 10mph and their size also restricted.

4.    In response to concerns raised regarding thefts using E-scooters (e.g. riding past and grabbing a mobile phone)  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To receive the report of Julie Tailor, Domestic Violence Co-ordinator.

RECEIVED the report of Julie Tailor, Domestic Violence Co-Ordinator highlighting the following:

·         The report provided an oversight of the work being undertaken to tackle Domestic Abuse (DA) and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) in public spaces. It also provided examples of partnership work to reduce risks and support victims of DA and VAWG more broadly.

·         Enfield Council had been successful in securing a Perpetrator Programme in the Borough and this project began in November 2020. The programme will address different elements of the identities of domestic abuse victims and perpetrators, rather than just one-like race or gender. It will also help to break down some of the barriers to victims accessing support and help challenge and disrupt the abuse.

·         The Enfield Domestic Abuse Hub was officially launched on 1^st May 2020 in response to the emergent concern of increasing domestic abuse incidents in the Borough during the Covid-19 Pandemic. The helpline continues to operate during weekdays between 9am to 5pm. Each victim is provided with tailored advice to their individual needs and can be referred on to other agencies for further support.

·         Enfield had funded a Locks and Bolt scheme which launched in June 2020. The Locks and Bolts scheme is available to individuals that have been a victim of crime. The service works with vulnerable clients & their families to enable people to feel safe in their own homes.

·         Enfield also has a “Safe Spaces” scheme which was set up by Hestia. UK SAYS NO MORE is working with Boots UK, Morrisons, Superdrug and Well pharmacies, TSB banks and independent pharmacies across the UK to provide Safe Spaces in their consultation rooms for people experiencing Domestic Abuse. They provide a safe and discrete way to reach out to friends and family, contact specialist support services and start their journey to recovery. There are currently 11 Safe Spaces in Enfield.

·         Further information was provided on the Resilience Team and DAHA Accreditation, Violence Against Women & Girls (VAWG) Strategy, Police VAWG Plan, Annual Campaign as well as the 21-bed refuge in the borough which continues to provide support to survivors of Domestic Abuse (DA).

The following comments/questions were raised:

1.    In response to a query as to what provision is made for male victims of domestic abuse members were advised that there is support available in the borough and provision provided such as the Locks and Bolt scheme as well as other services.

2.    It was recognised that male and same sex domestic abuse is often under-reported therefore Enfield Council regularly run campaigns to encourage victims to come forward to access the support available. The Police are also doing their best to get the message out to the public to assure them that a cohesive, collaborative approach is used for all victims of crime.

3.    Hestia had undertaken a massive piece of work to advertise their “Safe Spaces” and Enfield Council are ensuring that this message is reiterated in the Borough by constantly working with and updating all partnership agencies.

4.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To receive the report of Andrea Clemons, Head of Community Safety.

RECEIVED the report of Andrea Clemons, Head of Community Safety, highlighting the following:

·         The data within the report is sourced from Police records, which can be subject to fluctuations due to record processing. It is optimally accessed at least 5 working days from the end of the required reporting month.

·         A summary of the data was provided. There are indications that some crime levels across the capital are returning to numbers last seen pre-pandemic. Total Notifiable Offences in Enfield increased by 4.4% in the year ending January 2022. In London, there was a slightly higher increase of 5.2% in the same period.

·         An increasing number of London Boroughs have recorded increases in Serious Youth Violence (SYV) victims in the last year. There was an average 0.4% rise in London equating to 24 more victims than last year across the capital. With a 3.2% rise in Enfield, this was the first year on year increase in victims in the borough since 2020.

·         Some crime categories in the borough have maintained a decline or lower levels than those recorded prior to March 2020, such as Residential Burglary, Robbery of Personal Property and Gun Crime. In comparison to London there were higher decreases in Domestic Abuse Violence with Injury offences and incidents in Enfield than those recorded in London over the last year.

·         There were over a third less Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) calls across both regions in the last year compared to the year before, decreasing by 37.8% in Enfield while in London, there was a 35.1% decrease in the same period.

The following comments/questions were raised:

1.    The Police Officers present provided further information on the various crime figures detailed in the report and gave an overview of the work taking place within their teams.

2.    In response to Members’ queries, officers provided more details on key issues, challenges and comparative data.

3.    Detailed information was provided on Police numbers, turnover and recruitment processes.

4.    With regards to Estate Teams it was agreed that this item would come back to a future meeting of the Panel for a further update and would therefore be included on the Crime Scrutiny Work Programme for 2022/2023.

Action: Stacey Gilmour, Governance Officer

5.    Conversations took place regarding the changes to Ward Boundaries in the Borough and how this was likely to affect Policing. Superintendent Chris Jones advised that conversations regarding this are still ongoing, but he would come back to the panel with any further update.

Action: Superintendent Chris Jones

To agree the notes of the informal meeting of the Crime Scrutiny Panel held on 25 January 2022.

AGREED the notes of the informal meeting held on 25 January 2022.

Work Programme attached for information.

NOTED the concluded work programme for 2021/22.

To note that future meeting dates will be confirmed at Annual Council in May.

NOTED that future meeting dates will be agreed at Annual Council in May 2022.

The Chair, Cllr David-Sanders advised that this would be his last meeting as Chair of the Crime Scrutiny Panel as he would shortly be stepping down from his role as a local Ward Councillor. He thanked the police, officers and panel members for their contributions and participations in discussions and said it had been a pleasure working with everyone over the past four years.

Cllr Daniel Anderson thanked Cllr David-Sanders for his efforts in Chairing the panel and wished him good luck and success for the future.