Crime has started to rise nationally.
In Tower Hamlets we have not been immune to this. There has been a 5.4 per cent increase in violent crime in London in 2017/18 and a 4.3pc increase in Tower Hamlets. But we are doing a lot of different things to challenge this, and recently I held a violent crime summit bringing together partners to discuss solutions.
Of course, meetings are one thing but residents are rightly frustrated and want deeds not words. Over 200 officers in the borough have been cut due to government austerity and this means police are overstretched. We have used local money to ‘buy back’ some of these cuts.
Drugs are a driver of much violence and we have also taken tough action working in partnership with the police through Operation Continuum which saw 160 drug dealers off the streets.
We will continue to do all we can along with partners to tackle this menace, and keep local people safe and young people away from harm.
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