Newsletter - June 2018
Dear Residents
Welcome to the first newsletter from the St. Katharine and Wapping Safer Neighbourhood Ward Panel. This new Ward Panel was formed last summer. We are a non-political voluntary Group working with the Police Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT), The London Borough of Tower Hamlets (LBTH) and Residents to make the Ward a Safer Place in which to live and work.
Whilst it has taken time to find the relevant contacts to move things forward and to build relationships, our initiatives, energy and resource are firmly focused on the three areas that Residents voted as their principal areas of concern at the Public Meeting in St Georges Town Hall last July: -
Namely: Drugs; Dangerous Driving/Speeding; General Anti-social Behaviour (ASB)
We would like to share just some of our progress to date: -
ASB survey
•Following a residents’ survey in December, the panel produced a comprehensive report on ASB which was circulated to various key figures in LBTH including local councillors, the Mayor, The Metropolitan Police and Residents. It was highly commended by them and raised awareness of the issues faced by the Ward, provided a springboard for our initiatives and demonstrated the professionalism and seriousness of the Panel. Read it here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/jhjcgl95g5w1zin/CIS-ASB%20Report_RSF_.pdf?dl=0
CCTV Funding
•The panel highlighted in this report the increasing ASB in certain areas, in particular Hermitage Memorial Gardens, and we have very recently secured £23,000 from the LBTH budget (Section 106 money) which has been made available to purchase new mobile CCTV Cameras for the Ward. We are currently working with LBTH CCTV unit and the SNT to determine where the cameras should be located initially, when installed in June.
ASB Portal
•We assisted with testing the new LBTH on-line ASB reporting system which makes reporting very quick and easy and contributes to the data collection required when prioritising limited Police and council resource. This has now been ‘rolled-out’ and Residents are encouraged to use this additional means of reporting ASB. https://forms.towerhamlets.gov.uk/service/report_anti_social_behaviour
Traffic Campaign
•We instigated a traffic campaign and, with the input from residents, prepared a compelling presentation to LBTH evidencing dangerous driving and speeding cars, rush hour rat running and 32 tonne tipper trucks using our roads despite the 7.5 tonne limit. This resulted in sensors being installed on our roads in February. The Data from this survey is now being analysed. We will meet with LBTH to discuss their provisional plans to improve the safety on our local roads, prior to public consultation, and are currently chasing for a date.
Drug Dealer Car Registrations
•We were the catalyst for getting approval from the Metropolitan Police to report drug dealer registrations in real time (when reported on the Safer Wapping/ASB WhatsApp Group) following our request to pass on this information to the LBTH CCTV team. This assists the camera team to follow the cars and the Police to intercept the dealers. Please keep reporting Drug Dealers car registration numbers on the Safer Wapping/ASB WhatsApp Group.
SmartWater event - a traceable liquid and forensic asset marking system
•In conjunction with the SNT, we helped mark residents’ motor bikes and scooters in February. Another free marking event will be scheduled this summer.
OWL – an online neighbourhood communication tool
•We were one of the first Ward Panels in Tower Hamlets to appoint an OWL/Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator. All Residents are encouraged to sign up here: – www.owl.co.uk.
Dog Fouling
•LBTH has agreed to develop a dog fouling reporting App at the Panel’s request.
We appreciate there is still a lot we can do and that our success will be determined by the help and support of residents.
How can you help?
Continue to report ASB to 101/LBTH ASB link and serious crimes to 999.
Spread the word to ensure that as many residents as possible sign up to OWL, report on the LBTH ASB Portal, Safer Wapping/ASB WhatsApp Group and continue to send their traffic photographs for our campaign to: wappingtraffic@mail.com.
Only with consistent and disciplined reporting will resources be diverted to clamp down on the escalation of ASB related issues.
Show your support by attending our first public meeting. Make a date in your diary now: -
Thursday, 19 July, 6.15 - 8 p.m. at The Guoman Tower Hotel, St. Katherine’s Way, E1W 1LD
Your Police SNT, Senior Councillors and Officials from LBTH, will be there to answer your questions. Short videos will be shown to set out the remit of the Ward Panel along with one promoting the use of OWL and why Residents should sign up: www.owl.co.uk
St. Katharine and Wapping Safer Neighbourhood Ward Panel June 2018
(a non-political Group of Volunteers, working with the Police, Local Authority and Residents to make the Ward a Safer
Place in which to live and work)