Dear Ed, WE PUBLICLY congratulate the Bow East Police Neighbourhood team in East London on their well-deserved Community Safety award. In the nine months the team has made real progress in tackling persistent crime and anti-social behaviour around Roman Road Market

Dear Ed,

WE PUBLICLY congratulate Pol Sgt Tony Mohan, Pc Steve Bowyer and the rest of the Bow East Police Neighbourhood team in East London on their well-deserved Community Safety award.

In the nine months since Sgt Mohan took over in Bow East ward, his team has made real progress tackling some of the persistent crime and anti-social behaviour around Roman Road Market.

The team has also led the work to close down several crack’ houses in the area, including the first-ever use of the new Closure Order powers anywhere in the country.

Team-members are making great efforts to listen to the community’s concerns. The effectiveness of the Bow East team shows it was absolutely right to introduce neighbourhood teams in the first place and then roll them out across Tower Hamlets ahead of other boroughs.

It also shows why it is right to directly invest an extra �650,000 a year in boosting the neighbourhood police teams by another 17 officers.

Of course, things are still a long way short of what we would like. But if the police themselves are able to find a little more cash for a few extra officers, there is now a real prospect of a regular uniformed presence’ late into the evenings in Roman Road Market as well as daytime.

That is exactly the kind of visible deterrent that will ensure older people feel safe getting to the shops again and help boost the traders while we wait for Iceland and Tesco’s to set up stall.

Cllr Marc Francis (Lab)

Cllr Alex Heslop (Lab)

Cllr Ahmed Omer (Lab)

Bow East ward

Tower Hamlets Council

Town Hall, Blackwall