Agenda item

To receive a presentation from Chief Inspector Rob Gibbs, Enfield Safer Neighbourhoods.

Chief Inspector Rob Gibbs went through the presentation in the agenda pack. The following was highlighted:

·       An update was provided on the key crime types and data, comparisons and trends were provided for each category. Discussions took place and clarification was sought on some of the information shown on the Enfield Scorecard, to which CI Gibbs provided detailed responses. The increases and decreases in the various crime types were explained and noted.

·       An overview was provided on the hotspots in the borough as well as the expected seasonal changes, and it was noted that there is an overlap of burglary, serious violence, violence against women and girls (VAWG) and robbery between the hours of 19:00-21:00 in Edmonton Green.

·       Seven years of crime data suggests that there are only marginal changes in offending throughout the seasons, but in July and August increases are expected in the following: knife crime with injury ex DA/Violence with injury, personal theft, serious violence, and robbery (for the month of July).

·       Looking at the crime statistics in total, Upper Edmonton and Edmonton Green wards account for 20% of all crime in Enfield; so, two wards out of twenty-five account for one fifth of crime in the borough.

·       Theft of person is particularly challenging and as such is a priority, therefore a piece of work has been commissioned to address this issue.

·       Information was provided on Ward Teams and resourcing, and it was advised that five of five Inspectors were now in post, fourteen of fifteen Sergeants were also in post and the DWO posts had been filled. There were also plans to move to two PCSO’s per ward with high harm wards increasing over the next three years. Future plans also included an Inspector attending a CAPE meeting at least once a year.

·       An in-depth update was provided on two recent incidents in the borough, namely the GBH incident in Cockfosters on 8^th July 2024 and the Cross Bow incident in Bushey on 9 July 2024 which had overlapped with Enfield. Members were advised that, as these investigations were ongoing all details relating to this were strictly confidential and therefore not for the public domain. SNB members acknowledged this and thanked CI Gibbs for his informative update.

·       Following on from this update questions were raised regarding the sharing of information on social media in particular around videos that had been posted relating to the GBH incident in Cockfosters. CI Gibbs advised that the Police had no control over private individuals posting on social media, as long as the content was not in breach of any criminal laws, therefore those individuals who had posted to social media in relation to the Cockfosters incident had not committed a criminal offence.

·       Information was provided on Community Crime Fighting and Cluster and Ward plans which included Operation Pisces in Edmonton. This was a sustained policing approach which involved multiple layers of policing to address serious neighbourhood and organised crime in the area. It is a long-term partnership approach which launched on 3 June 2024 and a full council/partnership launch will be organised to look at and discuss the strategic oversight around this plan.

·       Members were presented with arrest figures which showed 136 arrests as at today and CI Gibbs advised this is an unusually high number since the start of this operation. The aim is to achieve a seven day a week activity although this would prove challenging in view of budgets and resources.

·       Further information was provided on Community Crime and Cluster and Ward Plans which included Operation Pisces in Edmonton. This is a sustained policing approach involving multiple layers of policing to address the serious organised and neighbourhood crime in the area. This is a long-term partnership approach which launched on 3^rd June 2024. A full council/partnership launch is planned around strategic oversight.

·       Members were presented with arrest figures since the launch of the operation which showed 136 arrests to date. The aim was to achieve a 7-day-a week activity although this would be hard to maintain given restraints on budgets and resources.

·       Further information was provided on the ‘Clear, Hold, Build’ tactic, which is a multi-agency partnership tactic, designed by the Home Office and endorsed by the Policing Inspectorate, to help areas affected by crime. The tactic comprises of three parts: Clear, which sees police pursue gang members; Hold, where police maintain a grip on the area to prevent other criminal groups from taking control; and Build, which works to help the community become less susceptible to the draw of organised crime groups. The tactic will be adopted by all forces in England and Wales following early signs of success by pilot forces.

·       CI Gibbs advised that although this is a Home Office Initiative, there is no separate funding for this project, therefore resourcing the project remains an issue. A sum of £20,000 is expected from Home Office GRIP funding for this project but the concern was that it would not take long to spend this when considering overtime payments for night work etc.

·       Councillor Needs, Cabinet Member for Community Safety & Cohesion acknowledged that funding is an issue, but she assured the Board that all partners were supportive and working together to look at every avenue to secure funding so that this project can continue.

·       CI Gibbs concluded his presentation with an update on examples of work to date which included a live facial recognition operation conducted for the first time in Fore Street. He added that there are positive signs that some crime types are reducing and some good community feedback.

The Chair thanked CI Gibbs for his informative update.