Bow West Police Ward Panel Meeting

Every three months or so the local community have a chance to meet up with the local Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) for our Bow West Ward. Last Friday MEOTRA attended the meeting. It was online, lasted around 45 minutes and there was plenty of time for everyone to raise any concerns with police officers. 

What is a Police Ward Panel and what does it do?

A ward panel sets local SNT ward priorities and hold the SNT to account for issues affecting the community. It feeds information and emerging issues directly to local officers, helping to shape and deliver local priorities and inform supervisors. Ward panel decisions must be evidence-based and inform, influence and involve both the community and police officers as part of a continuous cycle of feedback, review and action.

Last Friday's meeting was pretty poorly attended with just myself, Cllr Val Whitehead, Roshan (a Meotra resident) as Chair, two police officers and a rep from Malmesbury Estate. We discussed:

• Anti-social Behaviour (ASB) and possible drug dealing  along the Roman Road which looks to be linked to a vape shop.
• Meotra fed back that many residents were concerned about speeding, jumping red lights and illegal U-turns along Grove Road. Also cyclists are jumping the red lights at the crossing by the railway bridge. It might be tempting to think this isn't a police matter, but all agreed it certainly was and results in a significant number of deaths.
• The large number of car windows smashed overnight (including the filmed on on Tredegar Road). The police didn't seem to know about this mini-epidemic.
• The police brought up ASB within Tredegar Square. The gardens have seen an increase in ASB, littering, loitering, drug use, NOX (aka Happy Crack cannisters); as well as speeding around the Square. There is a feeling these issues have increased since the Parks Department stopped locking the Gardens overnight (during Covid).
• Priorities are evidence based: if issues aren't logged then they can't be prioritised. This is why it is important to obtain a crime reference number.

The meeting resulted in three ward priorities being set:

1. ASB in and around Tredegar Square.
2. Issues centred on Whitton Walk/ Howcroft House (Malmesbury Estate)
3. ASB around Driffield/Roman  Road

Why not get involved?

There are only 3-4 meetings a year, they only take up around 45 minutes and are currently online so no travelling time is involved and they do make a difference. So around four hours commitment a year.

If you'd like to find out more then please contact  Roshan (via me) or PC Aisha Miller (Aisha.Miller@met.police.uk) or 0208 649 3521

Other online Crime and Policing Resources

Look at the Bow West section of the Metropolitan Police website

The Crime Data Dashboard (look at Borough and Ward-level data)

The Ward Panel Handbook (don't be put off - this handbook covers all eventualities. The meetings are much more straightforward!).

Tower Hamlets Council info on policing