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Chief Supt Mike Wise: ‘More we can do’ |
Police promise crime blitz to win over public
Force second bottom of capital league
POLICE are launching a second series of crime-fighting measures to win back public support in Islington.
The latest initiative comes as confidential figures seen by the Tribune reveal public confidence in Islington police is the second lowest in London.
Figures for the first quarter of 2009-10, which the Met will not publish but has agreed to reveal under the Freedom of Information Act, put public confidence in Islington police at 28 per cent, having slipped to 27 per cent earlier this year.
The Tribune reported in February how confidence in the borough’s police was then the worst in the capital, with the number of people thinking the force did a good or excellent job at a low of 29 per cent.
At the time acting borough commander John Sutherland vowed to do something about the results, promising to invest heavily in community engagement and communication, and to seek advice from neighbouring Camden.
But the approval ratings continued to drop.
According to the latest figures collated by the Met’s strategic research unit, only Westminster ranks below Islington while neighbouring Camden is well ahead with an 81 per cent figure.
Now, new borough commander Mike Wise is planning to introduce a task-force focusing on neighbourhood policing and anti-social behaviour, mainly on council estates. A problem-solving team is being set up in the south of the borough.
Chief Supt Wise admitted: “The confidence ratings in Islington compared with other boroughs are low and as such we’re putting in a range of measures to ensure we improve what people are saying.”
He suggested the survey took into account only a small sample of the borough.
“It’s fair to say the public attitude survey is taken from something in the region of 600 respondents,” he added.
Chief Supt Wise said: “Locally, through ward panels and police consultative groups there’s a feeling we’re responsive to the community’s needs. However, there’s more we can do.
“To improve anti-social behaviour and low-level crime in particular, we’re going to restructure neighbourhood policing.”
In the south of the borough, Chief Supt Wise has promised a new problem-solving team, which will be “dedicated to tackling what people are most concerned about”, with extra staff funded from Town Hall money.
He is also planning to take officers from other roles within the force to create a task-force focusing on neighbourhood policing and anti-social behaviour across Islington, but mostly on council estates.
He refused to reveal from which posts he will pull officers, except to say “they are coming from existing resources within the borough make-up. Which posts they are is not relevant.”
There will also be new teams operating from major transport “hubs”, he said.
“It takes time for people to see that we’re trying to achieve what they want us to,” Chief Supt Wise said.
“We’re going to have to build that confidence and people need to see tangible results.”
He promised the force would be “listening”, and showing the public proof that it was responding. |
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