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Tower Hamlets has overcrowding and homelessness way above the national average. Officers on the safer neighborhood teams are dedicated to a small area, and working with other agencies to improve the quality of life for those that live here. Latest crime figures in Shadwell show a mixed picture, violence and criminal damage are down, but robbery and drug offenses are up.
Response policing, really, you're, you're flying around and police stars or blue lights, .....uh....it really is so profound and so sticking plaster, type of thing/ , to the old. It's what you do with it on the daily basis. This community's policing role provides the longer term, or after-care if you like, actually, dealing with the problem, seeing it through, and trying to eradicate the problem.
There are three Police Community Support Officers on the team. They can detain suspects but not arrest them. Their main role is to listen to public concerns, and consider solutions to problems like vandals at the old music hall.
‘By the time I call/ 999, they at least just run away. So, it's, you know, it's no police's fault at all, but when the police come, there is nothing for them to do. I just have to say I am really sorry if they were here. This is what happens , like they either smash/ these windows or like start this fire. But because we don’t have any CCTV (closed circuit television) coverage, we don’t actually have any way of catching them, or proving that is them.
" They will bring a crime-prevention team, and they'll , they will (try), will look at the whole area to guarantee how we can iron these problems out. It's easy to come down here and go see (it), but what we want is to look at things a long term to solve the problem for long term, so we have, you know, lots of patrolling, in the area."
The police federation which represents junior ranks says PCSOs have their role, but believes their uniforms should be much more distinct form regular officers, and they should not confront the public. Residents we spoke to had a variety of views.
"Basically, they're all our security guards, but at least they said something. It's fair and it was. I mean there was a time we never see a police before wit's your end, and I'll mainly, literally , (when)wit's your end , never see a car go pass or a cop on the bay, but now you see them once or twice a day, so what’s wrong with that?’
‘I feel they should, they should, I feel the community police office should have more, more arrest policies, and like, have the chance to arrest people, so you know, if they just stop for half an hour, it can’t be stopped in half an hour, cause like by the time police get there, they'll go anywhere.
The experiment has really just begun. The government is committed to the model of the community support officer. In two years' time, nationally, there will be more than 20,000 of them. They will be familiar figures everywhere.
Martin Brunt , Sky news, in London's East End.
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