Good news for the West End and St James’s as, thanks to new investment from the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, the Met is adding 80 additional police officers to tackle crime hotspots in the heart of our City.
Westminster Labour Councillors and Rachel Blake MP have consistently made the case to the Met, the Mayor and the Government about the real challenges facing the future of the wider West End, both for residents and visitors, without an enhanced police presence to crack down on crime and anti-social behaviour.
This was also one of the primary findings of the Council’s Westminster After Dark Strategy for improving the environment in Westminster in the evening and night-time.
These officers are permanent recruits on top of the existing teams in West End and St James’s and their presence will reduce pressure on local safer neighbourhood teams across Westminster to provide ad hoc support (abstractions for ‘aid’) in the centre of the City.
Labour-run Westminster Council has been taking concerted action of its own to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour by creating a new 200 camera public realm CCTV network (after the Conservatives scrapped the previous system); by recruiting 8 extra anti-social behaviour specialist City Inspectors; by setting up the new Street Based Intervention team (combining City Inspectors, Homeless Outreach Workers and a specialist caseworker); and increasing the size of the short-term let and noise enforcement teams.
Council Leader Cllr Adam Hug said
“We’re delighted to see this new investment to tackle crime in central Westminster from the Mayor and Met. Westminster Labour has been making the case for extra police, so we are delighted that our concerns have been listened to. These new officers will make a real difference, complementing the work we are doing as a Council to help make our streets safer.”
Cities of London and Westminster MP Rachel Blake said
“These new police officers in the West End will help crack down on phone thefts and improve safety for local people and all Londoners.”
West End Councillor Patrick Lilley said
“Residents have been asking for more police and now we are able to deliver them. This is good news for residents and visitors alike and will help make Soho and the wider West End safer.”