High Street Ward Panel Minutes 15th February 2024

• Sgt Dan Bray – Met. Police High Street SNT
• Sgt Riz Azad – Met. Police High Street SNT
• PCSO Den Morgan – Met. Police High Street SNT
• PCSO Mo Alyas – Met. Police High Street SNT
• Cllr Tom Connor – LBWF: Council
• Cllr Raja Anwar – LBWF: Council
• James King – LBWF: ASB Senior Officer
• Jeremias Johnson – Tenancy Officer – LBWF: Housing Team

• Philip Herlihy – Campbell Road (High Street Ward) (Chair)

• Jacqueline Sheehy – Woodville Road (St. James Street Ward)
• Stephen Ayers – Tylers Court, Westbury Road (High Street Ward) (Minutes)

Apologies for Absence

• Mo Yusuf – due to clash with Essex Close Tenants & Residents Association Meeting.
• Andrea Kufuor – due to clash with Essex Close Tenants & Residents Association Meeting.
• Helen Jackson – Cleveland Park Avenue
• Vicky Grandon
• Martin Griffiths

Introduction

• Meeting guidelines were shared.
• Minutes of this meeting to be taken by: Stephen Ayers.

Actions & Matters Arising

At the time of this meeting on 15th February 2024, the minutes of our previous meeting on 7th November 2023 had not yet been amended and approved.

Tylers Ct. Car Park Crime & ASB

Since the last meeting of the SNT Community Panel on 7th November, crime and ASB in Tylers Ct. Car Park has been drastically reduced due to the diligent and effective actions of the SNT in regularly patrolling the car park and also due to the seasonal effects of cold weather during the winter months, deterring people from hanging around outside in the car park.

Since the last meeting, Sgt. Bray has also spoken, while patrolling Tylers Ct. car park, to the Property Manager, Jeff Thomson of True Management regarding the situation.

As the Tylers Court Residents and Directors AGM for 2023-2024 has not yet been held (nor a date announced yet – the AGM should be held before the end of September 2024. There has also not been any AGM for Tylers Ct. for at least the past 2 years) the following actions from the 7th November 2023 meeting, were deferred at this meeting on 15th February 2024:

• Deferred Action: Email to Cllr Tom Connor and Jason Bell (JB) regarding the background history of ASB and Crime at Tylers Ct. and regarding opening a case regarding ASB in Tylers Ct. Car Park. (SA)
• Deferred Action: Gathering CAD data for 2022/2023 from 101 calls and building up further intelligence data in 2024-25 (diary of ASB / Crime events) for justification, to support the case for a gate and fence to be built on the front of the car park. (SA, JB).
• Deferred Action: SA to contact Sgt. Bray, to request a brief email regarding a gate and fence to be built on Tylers Ct. Car Park entrance, due to use of Police resources for ASB and Crime at Tylers Court Car Park. (SA)  

Essex Close – Crime and ASB

As Mo Yusuf of Essex Close TRA and Andrea Crowford were unable to attend this meeting due to their attendance at an Essex Close TRA meeting, the actions from the 7th November 2023 meeting were not reviewed at this meeting.

• Action: Joel Prospere to feedback from this meeting to LBWF Housing Team in order for them to formulate a comprehensive response (JP).
• Action: Email to Cllr Tom Connor (TC) regarding these issues for him to contact the Executive Director of Housing Joe Garrod and arranging a meeting with the Housing Officers others. (MY, JK, JP).
• Action: Cllr Tom Connor (TC) and Cllr Raja Anwar (RA) to send emails to relevant senior LBWF staff to progress the action being taken by LBWF. (TC, RA)
• Action: James King to contact the Housing Lead and with Jason Bell implementing the partial Closure Order for Essex Close (JK, JB). 
• Action: LBWF to pursue evicting the problem residents via the tenancy route (for breach of contract) of issuing Notices Seeking Possession. (JK)
• Action: LBWF to report back on this issue at the next meeting of the High Street Ward Panel. (TC, JP, JK).

Networking:

• Actioned: Philip Herlihy has talked to Walthamstow Central Library Management regarding the use of technology to stream the Ward Panel Meetings to the local community via a web cam.  

• Actioned: Cllrs Tom Connor and Rajah Anwar have contacted Walthamstow Central Library management to arrange Ward SNT Community Panel Meetings being located at Walthamstow Central Library for the foreseeable future.

Police Report & discussion

• Police Team Staffing Update:

• New P.C.S.O. Mo Alyas has recently joined the SNT.

• Since the beginning of February 2024, a new system has been implemented whereby each SNT Sergeant is responsible for 2 wards consistently across the Met Police, (no more than 2 wards and no less than 2 wards).
• Therefore the SNT for High Street Ward has taken over the SNT for St. James Street Ward, (inheriting only 1 P.C. from St. James Street Ward).
• The High Street Ward SNT of 1 Sergeants, 1 Acting Sergeant 7 P.C.s (only 5 P.C.s are currently listed on the met.police.uk webpage for High Street SNT) and 2 P.C.S.O.’s has had to be stretched across the 2 wards for the time being.
• More staff is expected to be allocated to the team via the L.R.P.M. for policing the 2 wards in the next few weeks. 

• A further issue with staffing numbers for the SNT is that members of the team get allocated by senior officers to cover the E.R.P.T. Response Team, as it is a higher priority across the Met Police. 

• Another issue with staffing numbers for the SNT is that officers are being taken away to do training on the new Connect policing system (as all officers have to do this 3 day training across the Met Police).

• There are also problems with recruitment and retention of sufficient numbers of staff across the Met Police.

• Therefore due to the above issues, the SNT currently has a constant struggle with having sufficient numbers of staff available to effectively police the 2 wards because their team numbers are at time severely restricted.

• The Chair mentioned that there seems to be a failure of planning by the senior leadership team regarding these issues with human resources.

• Crime report:

• See printed heat and location maps distributed by the SNT at the meeting.

• Sexual Offences: Since the last Ward Panel meeting on 7th November no sexual assaults have been reported in High Street Ward. The recent campaign (giving out anti-drink spiking devices and panic alarms, a stall in The Mall, leaflets and signs about V.A.W.G.) against Violence Against Women and Girls (V.A.W.G.) seems to have been effective.
• Action: Advertising V.A.W.G. campaign events on social media (RA)

• Drugs: 3 detections for drugs offences in the previous 4 weeks to today.
• One hotspot for drugs activities is Hatherley Mews.
• Another hotspot is around Track Street.  
• Drugs deaing issues have been cleared up in areas such as Pretoria Rd, Warner Rd, Woodville Rd and Carisbrooke Rd. which have been quiet in recent months.
• The SNT are confident that they are on top of the drugs dealing in High Street Ward at present.

• Theft Other – Pickpocketing etc. since last Ward Panel Meeting there were 30+ reports of theft other, including pickpocketing, handling stolen goods, theft shoplifting.
•  Police have been patrolling in plain clothes.
• A number of the pickpockets are believed to be from Bulgaria so an officer of Bulgarian ethnicity from the Response Team has been out in plain clothes working with the SNT.
• Bulgarians are no longer dressing in an eastern-European style they are now dressing in western style which makes them harder to spot.
• Bulgarian pickpockets are reputed to be very skilled at pickpocketing and evading police.

• Robbery: 4 robberies reported in the last month to today and 10 other robberies that were just outside High Street Ward. Most of the robberies are moped-style phone snatches.
• Police cannot stop moped thieves by ramming into them with police cars, so they are very difficult to stop even when the police know they have just committed a robbery.

• ASB: Mopeds at the top of the High Street outside Nando’s, the High St. SNT have done 1 operation along with other teams and they have another couple of similar operations scheduled.
• P.S.P.O’s have been issued for outside of Nando’s with no more than 3 mopeds allowed to gather.
• Traffic Police are also needed there to implement legislation regarding the types of throttled electric bikes that the food delivery drivers are using.

• ASB: Mopeds / e-bikes / e-scooters etc. on the High Street. A discussion followed among the Ward Panel and the SNT regarding the importance of policing the nuisance / dangerous bicycles, e-bikes / e-scooters and other vehicles in the High Street Ward. Regarding the threat to pedestrians that these vehicles pose due to the speed of these vehicles and their silent e-motors and riders not using bells to warn pedestrians of their presence.
• Action: this issue is to be addressed by the SNT (DB /RA)

• One problem with policing this is that the High Street is classed technically as a road therefore even on market days, these vehicles are permitted on the road amongst the market stalls and pedestrians, so police can’t necessarily issue tickets.

• Sgt Riz Azad has met with Abdul the market Manager and has asked them to persuade the Council to put up signs in the market saying ‘No Cycles’ then the SNT will be able to enforce that but as it stands he cannot enforce it as it will be successfully challenged.

• The SNT can take off the road any e-bike or e-scooters or other vehicle that has a throttle if they haven’t got insurance. The SNT will also look at when they can give tickets to these vehicles to try to get on top of this issue in the High Street.

• Cllr Tom Connor asked if this is an issue we could pursue and think about how to pursue as well as if there is any monitoring statistics about these vehicles on the roads / cycle lanes?

• James King (LBWF ASB Senior Officer) commented that this ASB would be the purview of the Byways Team at the Council. So we would need to get the feedback of the Byways Team on whether they can change the legislation around this issue in the High Street.

• James King also commented that pursuing this would need to be based on a good basis of evidence rather than just a couple of complaints. So we would need to build a good business case.

• ASB: Environmental – Fly-tipping – this is a Council Officer (George Pringle is unwell – also Ryan Jarvis) issue. Government has just passed legislation to increase fines from £400 to £750 and the Council has just launched a publicity campaign against fly-tipping.
• Action: Philip Herlihy to email James King and Tom Connor re: local fly-tipping hotspots around Campbell Rd. (PH)

Any Other Business

• Jacqueline Sheehy reported a spate of stolen large pot plants on Woodville Rd (probably to be sold).

• Cllr Raja Anwar reports that there is drug dealing between 10pm and late night in an alleyway close to Arkley Crescent.

• Stephen Ayers reported that a community garden is being planted and built on Mission Grove between the school and the car park. When seating is installed this may attract ASB as it will be possible to walk onto the site as there is no fence or gate.

• Jacqueline Sheehy reported that a community garden has also been planted in March on Buxton Road which may also attract ASB.

• Cllr Tom Connor reported that at the Community Scrutiny Panel there is an initiative called the Safe Streets Pilot which could possibly (if it is funded in the future) be applied to High Street Ward (if an application is made early).
• Action: Circulate details of the Safer Streets Pilot (TC)

• There is soon going to be a major regeneration of the top of the High Street which will aim to improve the ASB and the quality of lives of the residents living above the shops / restaurants. 

• Stephen Ayers discussed the process of how to set up a Neighbourhood Watch scheme for Westbury Road with PCSO Dennis Morgan.
• Actions: Recruitment of team of organizers of the NW scheme and knocking on doors to get support of at least 60% of the residents. Then contact Dennis and he will provide support and posters etc. (SA/DM)

• Philip Herlihy and Jeremias Johnston reported re: Essex Close:
• Mo Yusuf will report back himself next time.
• ASB has been considerable reduced due to the actions of the SNT. Progress has been made
• CCTV has been installed
• 2 residents have been fined
• 1 property has been served with a notice of seeking possession.
• 1 property – the council is liaising with a 3rd party owner

Ward Priorities Agreed

• Theft – Pickpocketing

• Motorised pedal bikes / E-bikes / E-scooters etc.

• Drugs (Ward Panel Choice)

Next meeting

Date/Time: Wednesday 24th April 2024 – 18:30 – 20:00
Venue: Walthamstow Central Library