Crime is top concern in East End, says Tower Hamlets council survey

More than four out of 10 people living in London’s East End put crime down as their worst concern, according to a survey by Tower Hamlets council.

They view crime as their top priority, with 42 per cent listing it as their main worry.

Lack of jobs is the next thing most people are concerned about, with 31 per cent listing unemployment, while litter in the street also concerns 24 per cent.

Mayor Lutfur Rahman has put people’s concerns down to the recession and last summer’s disturbances.

“It’s no surprise that crime and lack of jobs are key concerns against a backdrop of ongoing public spending cuts and the London riots,” he said.

“Tackling crime and working to make sure residents feel safe where they live is our priority.

“Working with the police and our Partnership task force has resulted in 400 arrests, 3,500 stop-and-searches and 450 sanctioned detections since it was set up last year.”

But overall, crime is down 30 per cent since 2003, he pointed out.

The mayor has funded an extra 18 neighbourhood police officers to the partnership who will be on the streets from October.

The council is also working to get people back into employment, he assured. Its Skillsmatch job brokerage service has put 600 in jobs in the last year.

The survey found general satisfaction with council services, according to the Town Hall, highest among Idea Stores, primary education, recycling facilities and nursery education.

But recycling facilities and parking services have seen a fall in ratings and are in need of improvement, the survey found.

The survey has been carried out to see what residents’ priorities are and to focus on “the issues that matter most.”