Agenda item

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

RECEIVED the report of the Community Safety Analyst, highlighting the following:

(i)    A summary of the data was provided. Total Notifiable Offences in Enfield increased by 5.8% in the year ending July 2022. In London, there was a higher increase of 10.1% in the same period.

(ii)  An increasing number of London Boroughs have recorded increases in Serious Youth Violence (SYV) victims in the last year. There was an average 7.7% rise in London equating to 459 more victims than last year across the capital.

(iii) Enfield recorded 11.2% reduction in the number of Serious Youth Violence (SYV) victims in year ending July 2022, or 38 less victims when compared to the same period last year. Enfield is ranked 5^th out of 32 boroughs for the number of SYV victims in the past 12 months.

(iv) Further information was tabled detailing pre and post-pandemic levels of crime in Enfield- (2 years after the first lockdown), showing comparisons in performance data. This showed a reduction in SYV to pre-pandemic levels. This figure has tracked down and down and it was agreed that this was really encouraging to see.

(v)  The number of ASB calls has reduced considerably this year, and the number of Gun Crime offences also reduced by 74 offences in 12 months to March 2022 when compared to pre-pandemic year

(vi) Some crime categories in the borough have maintained a decline or lower levels than those recorded prior to July 2021, such as Child Sexual Exploitation Offences.

The following comments/questions were raised:

1.    Officers and the Police 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.    Ivana Price, Head of Young People & Community Safety provided an update on the ‘No Knives Better Lives’ initiative which provided education around the risk of carrying knives and the ramifications and some really great feedback had already been received.

4.    Ivana also spoke about Knife Crime Prevention Orders (KCPOs), which is a new civic order intended to help direct those who may be carrying knives or who are at greatest risk of being drawn into serious violence, away from being involved in knife crime. They will also help to prevent others who have been involved in knife crime from further offending when used following a conviction. Trials would be taking place to see how these orders can be used more for the prevention of knife crime around young people.

5.    Concerns were raised in relation to the Theft or Taking of a Motor Vehicle. Superintendent Rhona Hunt acknowledged the significant impact of this crime from a victims perspective and provided a comprehensive update on the initiatives and work taking place in an attempt to combat this crime type which included proactively reviewing the figures every month and continually reviewing the intelligence around this issue. She did highlight however how incredibly challenging this type of crime is to tackle as it is organised, sophisticated, very technical, quick moving, high level crime. There are plans in place for a communications push that will be very targeted, involving specific areas, dealerships and leafleting in hot spot areas. The Chair added that the PCSO in Grange Ward had done lots of preventative work with residents and this had proved very useful.