Harringay affected by share-a-sergeant policy

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Permalink Reply by pamish on October 12, 2011 at 19:37

Funny that they pick Seven Sisters as needing less policing when part of the polemic from council high-ups is that the area around the market is rippling with crime and the only solution is to knock it all down.

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Permalink Reply by Hugh on October 13, 2011 at 20:34

Here's the official release on this from Haringey Police:

 

‘The Met remains committed to neighbourhood policing’ is the message from Haringey Borough Commander, Sandra Looby.

Following an extensive review of neighbourhood policing, MPS proposals were debated at the Metropolitan Police Authority in June and boroughs across London are in the process of implementing the changes.

The key points are as follows:

• Safer Neighbourhoods teams will not be merged, every ward will retain its dedicated police team responsible for working with and for local people to address the local crime and safety concerns that matter to them most. 
• There will be no reduction in the number of PCs and PCSOs within Safer Neighbourhoods Teams.
• Safer Neighbourhoods Teams will continue to be aligned to political ward boundaries.
• The revised supervisory model will mean that several Safer Neighbourhoods Sergeants may supervise more than one team.

We remain committed to neighbourhood policing and to delivering the high level of police service that Haringey deserves. The current economic climate makes it all the more imperative that the MPS is providing the best value for money from its resources.

It has become clear since the original Safer Neighbourhoods model was rolled out in 2006 that some wards are much busier than others, and in some locations, Sergeants themselves have told us that they have the capacity to supervise more than one team.

The revised supervision model will lead to a reduction of approximately 150 Safer Neighbourhoods Sergeant posts across the MPS in 2011/12. Every borough is expected to bear a proportion of the total Safer Neighbourhoods Sergeant reductions on a pro rata basis. This will lead to a reduction of approximately four to six Sergeants per borough. Haringey is to see a total reduction of five, with two of those posts already having been vacant since April and September this year.

Every ward will still have a named Sergeant although that Sergeant may supervise more than one team. They will continue to lead, supervise and manage the engagement and enforcement activity carried out by the PCs and PCSOs.

In Haringey, the wards that will share supervision are as follows:

 

• Fortis Green and Alexandra wards 
• Bounds Green and Woodside wards
• Hornsey and Stroud Green wards
• Highgate and Crouch End wards
• St Ann’s and Seven Sisters wards

A selection process is underway to identify which Sergeants will remain with Safer Neighbourhoods in Haringey and which three will move on to other roles. A process is in place to decide which Sergeant will supervise which teams.

The changes will mean that our teams will be able to deliver greater flexibility to address local priorities, reduce unnecessary costs and ensure our resources are used more efficiently to better meet the demands of the local community.

There will now be the flexibility to task teams in Haringey to work jointly across wards on a temporary basis. This will allow teams to address specific community crime and anti-social behaviour concerns and provide reassurance and engagement when and where the community needs them.

Those engaged in crime and anti-social behaviour do not respect ward boundaries and the police must have flexibility to tackle them, at times, with joint action by more than one team.

During periods of temporary deployment the ward will retain a minimum strength of one PC and one PCSO from its dedicated team. This will maintain consistency across Haringey and ensure teams retain local knowledge about their communities and individuals. Boroughs will have discussions with all ward panels concerned where temporary deployments are planned and the MPS will monitor these in a monthly report to the MPA.

The current economic climate makes it imperative that the MPS is providing the best value for money from its resources and the reduction in Sergeants supports this requirement. Reductions have been carried out on a pro-rata basis, across boroughs, equalling an average reduction of four to six Sergeants per borough. Every ward will still have a named Sergeant although that Sergeant may supervise more than one team. They will continue to lead, supervise and manage the engagement and enforcement activity carried out by the PCs and PCSOs.

We will work hard to maintain the number of PCs and PCSOs and Safer Neighbourhoods teams will continue to take an intelligence-led approach to reducing crime and anti-social behaviour through problem-solving activity. The MPS remains firmly committed to the Safer Neighbourhoods network based on teams dedicated and aligned to political ward boundaries that work with partners and the community to deal with priorities that matter to them. Our changes will allow the MPS to focus its skills and resources in the most effective way and ensure we continue to provide an excellent service to Londoners.

Haringey Borough Commander Det Chief Supt Sandra Looby said: "The MPS remains committed to neighbourhood policing. This means that every ward in Haringey will continue to have its own Safer Neighbourhoods team working with and for local people."

"We intend for our Safer Neighbourhoods teams, which have become familiar sights in local communities, to continue to do the things they have always done by supporting local communities and helping address their crime or safety concerns.

"The changes will mean that our teams will be able to deliver greater flexibility to address local priorities, reduce unnecessary costs and ensure our resources are used more efficiently to better meet the demands of the local community.

"As borough commander for Haringey I will retain operational control of my Safer Neighbourhoods teams and ensure they are being used in the right way to work with local people to help keep communities safe. I'm pleased to reaffirm the Met's strong commitment to community policing."

 

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