Ealing Liberal Democrats engage Ealing's top police boss on local issues
Recently, Ealing Liberal Democrat Councillors Gary Malcolm, Connie Hersch and Matt Mellor met the local police Superintendent, Sean Lynch, to discuss a range of important issues, including West Ealing concerns, violence against women and girls (VAWG), Southall crime and ASB. As Superintendent Neighbourhood Policing, he is now one of the longest serving superintendents in London! They had a fruitful discussion and agreed to regularly meet again.
West Ealing Concerns:
We raised a number of concerns in West Ealing including:
- Lammas Park SUDs - where local drug taking seems to be facilitated by the new cover of the drainage ditch.
- Rough sleepers outside West Ealing Library and anti-social behaviour in Melbourne Avenue.
- Proliferation of Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs).
Acton Park, Acton Vale and Southfield Rec:
- We raised concerns about drug crime, violent crimes and anti-social behaviour in and around Acton Park.
- Liberal Democrat Councillors said that they wanted to see a more visible police team to help discourage crime and on Southfield Rec to make arrests.
Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG):
There was a discussion on domestic abuse presentation. There is a website to report streets where women and girls might get harassed and don't feel safe (but not crime level): www.police.uk/streetsafe.
Ealing Lib Dems are participating in a detailed review on this issue jointly with the police.
Southall:
Police are looking at the broad range of crime types and engaging additional resources, as well as looking at using technology better such as, drone usage, e-bikes issues and facial recognition. This approach is welcomed by the Ealing Liberal Democrats.
Reporting Crime:
The Met Engage website which was launched about a year ago is available on https://www.metengage.co.uk/. The aim is to engage with local police and have direct access to key information and advice. It is also a way to tell the police what's concerning residents most. It has a postcode function which can advise residents who the local neighbourhood police officers are. The website also shows “Cuppa with a Copper” events, time and date, usually in a local coffee shop.
Ealing has three call centres and incidents are used to generate heat maps which show incidents and crime. You can see information on your local area using the following link. https://www.met.police.uk/area/your-area/.
Councillor Connie Hersch, Shadow Spokesperson for Culture, Sport, Communities & Crime and Deputy Leader of the Ealing Liberal Democrats said: “Ealing Liberal Democrats are working collaboratively with the police to make sure residents' concerns are heard. Labour who are now in control of all levels of governance (national, regional and local) have not managed to give crime and crime prevention in Ealing a priority, so people feel safe in all neighbourhoods.”