Community Police Teams in Walthamstow

Three of the eight wards in Walthamstow now have their own local Police teams. The High Street team is the longest established, but Wood Street and Lea Bridge areas now have their own teams as well. Each of the teams consists of a Sergeant, two PCs and three Community Support Officers. Their job is to work with the local community, so that they get to know the area, but also become known in the are themselves.

I have no doubt that so far the local teams are having a really positive effect. The High Street team were involved in the work to deal with the nuisance caused by the ticket touts who were hanging around Walthamstow Central. I gave a statement for use in court when Anti-Social Behaviour Orders were obtained against some of the worst offenders. It isn't perfect yet, but the number of unsavoury characters around the station, and the pestering of passengers to give up their tickets to them, has significantly decreased.

I know from people who have contacted me that there are a few areas in Walthamstow suffering from problems of anti-social behaviour on a regular basis. This is just the sort of problem that the local police teams can be very effective at dealing with, as they have already proved.

It is planned to extend the coverage, so that by the end of 2006 every ward in Walthamstow should be covered. I am pressing for this to be done as quickly as possible, so that everyone can have the benefits which have been delivered in the wards which are already covered.

Dec 2005

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