Community safety initiatives in North Lambeth
Initiative and activities in Bishop's, Clapham Common, Clapham Town, Larkhall, Oval, Prince's and Vassall wards.
Safer Neighbourhood Panels in North Lambeth
The Safer Lambeth Partnership hold regular Safer Neighbourhood Ward Panels, ran by the Police in partnership with Lambeth Council.
The aim of these meetings is to provide those who live, work or study in the ward a meaningful way of working with the Lambeth Partners to make their area safer, fairer and more liveable.
The meetings provide an opportunity for the local community to assess and determine local crime and anti social behaviour in their area and prioritise their concerns for action by the Safer Lambeth Partnership and the Safer Neighbourhood Police Teams.
The panels are held quarterly at a local venue and last for a maximum of two hours.
If you wish to influence the ways in which crime and antisocial behaviour is dealt with in North Lambeth and are interested in attending our next ward panel, or would like more information about them please contact Lulu Gravergaard on 020 7926 2712 or email LGravergaard@lambeth.gov.uk
Stockwell tube station
In Stockwell, an exciting pilot project is being launched. By pooling together our resources we are aiming to improve the appearance and atmosphere around the tube station. We will be looking at diverting street drinkers into treatment, carry out environmental improvement and working with the off licences.
Tackling prostitution
A dedicated vice operation has been carried out in the Vassal ward by the vice squat in conjunction with the local safer neighbourhood team and the area will now become part of the Home Office kerb crawling deterring operation. New signs have gone up and further advertising will be displayed in local pubs and in the affected area as it has been identified that the majority of kerb crawlers are local and are accessing the street sex workers by foot.
Clapham Park Estate
Clapham Manor Estate we will be looking at working with housing to improve the general feel of the area and we also hope to optimise the lighting on the estate.
Kennington Park Estate
The Community Safety partnership has identified a range of additional partners including Hyde housing, the Oval partnership, the oval cricket ground and the Youth Offending Team to work together to solve the problematic groups of young people by a combination of diversionary work and enforcement. The extended partnership will feedback to the ward panel on activities carried out and report on any progress.
Theft and Rough Sleeping
In Bishop’s ward, the Safer Neighbourhoods Ward panel have identified 'theft other' on the south bank, rough sleeping and bicycle theft as priorities. Many activities to address these issues are undertaken by a range of agencies. To tackle 'Theft other' (which is pick pocketing, snatch and property theft) a problem-solving meeting has been arranged with Police, Crime prevention Officer, South Bank employers group and Community Safety to identify actions to support the current police strategy implemented in the area. We are looking to optimise the information sharing process so known offenders do not have an easy run on the South Bank.
Outreach work is planned to address the issue of rough sleeping in this ward along with a programme to design out convenient nooks and crannies and through Operation Clean Sweep. Operation Clean Sweep is carried out by Streetcare in conjunction with police and St. Mungo's outreach workers.
Activities in Prince’s ward
Prince’s ward has over a period had problems with the theft of and from motor vehicles. However, a joined up approach from Community Safety and the Safer Neighbourhood Team, distributing 1500 property marking/crime prevention kits, has had the desired effect and vehicle crime has gone down. Other priorities for this area are a number of programmes and initiatives to address youth anti-social behaviour and drug use on the Vauxhall Gardens Estate and vehicle crime. However, Prince's ward is the only ward in the Kennington subcommand where crime has gone down.
Activities in Clapham town ward
The Community safety team are looking at activities to tackle vehicle crime and burglary by following the good practice identified in the Prince's ward by combining lessons learned from the Vassal Safer Partnership which distributed property marking SmartWater kits to hotspot areas and by educating residents through leafleting as learned in Oval.