Extra Police for Lambeth’s Streets

Crime is residents’ number one concern and Police reorganisation strategy, known as Operation Hannah, will go live from Monday February 14th. Over 100 extra police officers will be assigned to six areas, covering the whole borough, that will increase visible policing, get more officers on the beat and provide an even greater focus on local issues such as anti-social behaviour.

Cllr Rachel Heywood Lambeth cabinet member for Communities and Community Safety said “Operation Hannah will go a long way to help the fight against anti social behaviour in Lambeth and significantly enhance local neighbourhood policing at a time when police number are being cut across the rest of the UK. Ensuring safer communities in Lambeth is a key priority for Labour administration and the additional police constables will provide a visible presence and safety net as well as helping reassure residents across the borough.’

Under operation Hannah all 21 wards in Lambeth will be partnered with others to make 6 clusters, called Local Policing Teams, with each cluster receiving at least an additional 14 police constables. The LPTs will also be working alongside, boosting the Safer Neighbourhood Teams, who will remain committed to tackling crime in their wards.

Residents in Lambeth will benefit from extra visible policing at a time when the Tory led coalition is cutting funding to services and the Lib Dems reneged on a deal to provide 3000 extra police.

News of Operation Hannah comes on the back of the announcement that Lambeth is going to continue funding its special police team to tackle crime hit neighbourhoods. The Anti-Social Behaviour Action Team, set up last year, is made up of 22 PCSOs and they can be rapidly deployed across the borough, another addition to Labour’s manifesto commitment to zero tolerance of anti-social behaviour.

Cuts will spark a teen crime whirlwind, says council chief | News

The Tory led coalition have implemented the largest funding cuts to Local government since the second world war and as a result Lambeth is having to find £79 million worth of savings over the next 3 years.

Cllr Paul McGlone has written to the Communities Secretary Eric Pickles to warn of a “real decline” in the quality of services as the cuts start to bite.

Read below for the full article published in the Evening Standard on the 5^th January.

Cuts will spark a teen crime whirlwind, says council chief | News

Central London Labour Leaders condemn government's cuts to local councils

The three Labour leaders of Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark Councils have issued a joint statement laying out their opposition to the huge cuts for local councils announced today by the Coalition Government. As part of the settlement for local government the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, has cut funding to the three councils by millions of pounds.

Between them the three council leaders represent nearly a million people including some of the most deprived communities in the country. Today’s settlement is not the first government decision that will disproportionately affect people living in inner-city areas, but comes on the back of changes to welfare, higher education and social housing.

Cllr Steve Reed, Leader of Lambeth Council, Sir Steve Bullock, Mayor of Lewisham and Cllr Peter John’s statement:

“Between us we represent some of the most deprived inner-city areas in the UK and almost 1 million people. The Tory/Lib Dem government’s announcement today to cut council funding by millions of pounds is a hammer-blow to our boroughs and hit s our people hard. This was not an inevitability but a short-sighted political choice; it was not an unavoidable outcome but a calculated decision to put dogma ahead of decency.

“We will each work with local residents to try and minimise the pain of these cuts but we are united in our opposition to them. Today's decision will force all Councils to cut highly valued services. We share local people's anger about this, and will stand alongside our communities through the challenging months and years ahead”.

London Councils calls on London MPs to fight for the capital

Council leaders from the three main political parties have today written to all London MPs urging them to fight for the capital’s public services ahead of next month’s local government finance settlement.

The settlement could fix funding levels for London’s local authorities up to the next four years and estimates suggest that they will see a £1.5 billion reduction in funding over that period.

With the situation looking so bleak, London Councils has called on the capital’s MPs to persuade the government to ensure London’s local authorities get a fair deal from the funding settlement.

Please lobby our MP to support Lambeth’s public services! You can contact Vauxhall’s member of parliament, Kate Hoey MP as follows:

Kate Hoey MP

House of Commons
Westminster
London
SW1A 0AA

Phone: 020 7219 5989

Fax: 020 7219 5985

Email: hoeyk@parliament.uk