Council to pay for more police officers on Croydon's streets
By Aline Nassif
aline.nassif@essnmedia.co.uk
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MERGER PLANS: Councillor Gavin Barwell
Police and council teams deployed throughout Croydon to keep the streets safe are set to merge in the new year.
Safer neighbourhood teams (SNTs) would increase in size to serve larger "community" areas instead of wards, with the support of a range of council street-based services, according to proposals.
Gavin Barwell, the council's cabinet member for safety and cohesion, has announced the conclusions of a review into Croydon's safety services.
These included a brand new SNT to act as a "response unit" dealing with problem areas as and when they arise.
Cllr Barwell added that he wanted to employ more police officers - as opposed to community support officers (PCSOs) and neighbourhood enforcement officers (NEOs), who have limited powers.
These, he explained, would be funded by the council following assurances from the Met they would not be deployed elsewhere in London.
Explaining the change of patches for the SNTs, Cllr Barwell said: "Many of our wards are artificial units that do not reflect community boundaries.
"Moving to larger units will also create bigger teams, which can provide cover for more of the week.
"I am clear that, whilst residents recognise the contribution that PCSOs and NEOs make, what they also want to see is more police officers on our streets."
Currently, the council provides a range of street-based services – including NEOs, its mobile enforcement unit and an environmental response team who deal with graffiti.
Staff from contractors Veolia meanwhile deal with street cleaning and fly-tipping, while there are also park rangers, neighbourhood wardens and anti-social behaviour teams.
Many of them already work alongside the SNTs but bringing them under one umbrella would save taxpayers' money and maximise efficiency, Cllr Barwell insists.
The council will be carrying out consultations with residents and staff involved ahead of forming a set of specific proposals that will be brought before the council on March 22.
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by Mark Samuel, Croydon South
Saturday, December 19 2009, 9:25PM
“Councillor Barwell says that:
"Many of our wards are artificial units that do not reflect community boundaries"
Isn't he an elected ward member for Coulsdon west, representing the people within it? I thought that this was a real area with its residents, businesses and local community.
But it may not be good enough for him, as he chooses to live in the neighbourhood of Sanderstead.
Perhaps he should remember that he is just a cabinet member for Croydon, and not Home Secretary or Mayor of London?
The council should leave real policing to the existing professional officers. Together with local residents¿ input, they concentrate on specific crime in their respective SNTs, in ALL 24 wards, right across our diverse borough.”
by keith, croydon
Saturday, December 19 2009, 1:27AM
“Sorry..but the council is not paying for this..we are. SNT's, PCSO's,NEO's, MFI's what ever you may call them they are not police. Having (and paying) for a consultation is not needed, spend the money on real police officers and get them out of the office and onto the streets. I want Veolia to clean the streets, not police them, i want to see a member of the council walk alone through Croydon at night and then tell me it's safe. Until than stop wasting money talking about crime and get the scum off the streets”
by auto, Croydon
Friday, December 18 2009, 4:58PM
“More police on the streets. Good.
More criminals arrested.
Good.
But will they get to court?
When rapists apparently occasionally get an administrative caution?
If any offence of violence goes to the courts - an improvement.
If convicted - do they get punished? Or 50 hours of community service, which half don't do, and an ABC?
If they do get put inside - and not all of them do - some get to watch Sky.
Cosy rooms, meals provided, gymasia, etc.
Which the taxpayers kindly fund.
As a society, if we are to win against the forces of disorder and chaos, it is necessary to make punishments such that people are deterred, and - if punished - make most swear never to get caught again.
The easiest way never to get caught is to behave, of course.
And the government - too busy passing laws to drive wealth creators out of the country, make a third of the adult population have a criminal check [based on hearsay as well as facts like convictions] in case they're in the same town in the same week as a child; and facilitate the prosecution of the Israeli foreign minister [ex].
As well as wasting a trillion pounds and rising.
And borrowing an extra 780 billion over six years.
That's £13,000 that every man woman and child in the country will have to pay back in higher taxes.
Except the crims and lay-abouts won't pay.
Shock Horror!
And the alternative is the Tories, apparently . . . . .”
by RobinHood, Sherwood
Friday, December 18 2009, 2:45PM
“Peterg22 is right with what he says.
I spoke with a police officer in Croydon earlier this year and he told me that they were losing the street wars and in time troops will need to be deployed on Croydons streets.”
by ANNE, SELSDON
Friday, December 18 2009, 1:59PM
“I have yet to meet a PCSO who is NOT useful. They have their role and they do it very well. Here in Selsdon they are extremely helpful.”