Agenda item

Declan Khan, Assistant Director, Counter Fraud, Community Safety & Protection, introduced the report which highlighted what the team has done in relation the different key priorities.

David Lingard, Head of Community Safety, CCTV & Intelligence contributed to progress on anti-social behaviour (ASB). Under priority 1: Tackling and reducing ASB, a borough wide Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) has been implemented in Barnet for a year. The Community Safety Team have used several tools such as injunctions, Community Protection Orders (CPN), Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBO) and Premises Closure Orders (PCO) to combat ASB. In the 6 months to September 2023 a total of 358 Fixed Penalty Notices were issued.

Nicholas Licardo,CCTV & Intel. Manager updated the Board on CCTV. It was reported that the new CCTV control room has launched within Barnet Council’s Colindale office which provided a new state-of-the-art technology and capabilities with 24/7 365 days a year monitoring. The improvement has increased the number of images and coverage in the borough.

This allowed to Community Safey Team to:

•      Tackle Anti-Social Behaviour and environmental crime across the borough

•      Increase wellbeing and perception of safety for residents

•      Improved partnership working with MET police

•      Identify economic development and inclusion opportunities

•      Combine Public Space Surveillance cameras with those in Libraries.

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Between April 2023 to September 2023 inclusive, there were 408 incidents recorded with many of these being to support the MET police.

Under priority 4: safeguard and support those vulnerable to radicalisation, it was reported that the risk and threat remain the same, but funding provided to the Local Authority (LA) will be withdrawn. The CEO of Barent Council has lobbied and also written to the Home Office in attempt to have the funding reinstated.

Perryn Jasper, Prevent Coordinator and Hate Crime Lead and Barnet MENCAP discussed Hate Crime. Under priority 5: Access to Justice for those affected by Hate Crime it was reported to the Board that the majority of Hate Crimes in Barent are Racist and Religious Hate Crimes. The amount of Hate Crimes in Barnet has been reported as in line with the rest of London and Nationally.

•      Total Hate Crime allegations of all types in NWBCU = 531

•      (289 of these were in Barnet = 54%)

•      Total Middle East Conflict related hate crimes in the NWBCU = 282

•      (201 of these were in Barnet = 71%)

These incidents are broken down as follows:

•      Islamophobic = 45 (20 in Barnet)

•      Antisemitic = 235 (181 in Barnet)

•      Faith Hate = 2 (0 in Barnet)

Barnet had seen a substantial increase in Hate Crime as a direct result of the Middle East Conflict.

Barnet’s Community Response to hate crime includes:

•      Increased comms encouraging residents to stay safe and report hate crime and incidents to the Police.

•      Reminding residents to use Barnet’s Hate Crime Reporting Centres if they need support to report hate crime or signposting to local/community specialist support groups.

In February 2023 four Community Safety Hubs were introduced, an interactive approach with the public had produced active engagement and positive response within the community.

The Community Safety Ward Walk Programme was introduced in November 2022 which outlined all wards have at least one visit. The Ward Walk highlighted issues and progress will be reported on through the year.

The Chair thanked those for the report and the Board noted the contents of the report and presentation.