A week ago Cllr Mary Mitchell (Willesden Green) wrote to to the local following following the murder of Jamal Ringrose, putting it into a wider context and making a number of requests:
Dear DCS Luke Williams,
DS Tony Bellis and Insp. Naomi Wilder,
I am writing on behalf
of many residents of Willesden Green who have contacted me regarding crime,
antisocial behaviour, drug use and drug dealing in the vicinity of Willesden
Green and Dollis Hill stations. There is a growing
perception, which I share, that our area is not receiving the level of policing
attention that residents reasonably expect and deserve. Residents have reported
persistent and ongoing concerns including drug dealing, public drug use,
antisocial behaviour, intimidation, theft, indecent exposure and violence. Many of these reports
relate to the same locations and hotspots, yet residents have seen little
evidence of sustained intervention or long-term problem-solving.
While individual
operations have taken place, many residents feel that visible policing has
diminished and that issues repeatedly return once short-term enforcement
activity ends.
These concerns have been
brought into sharp focus by a series of serious incidents over the past eight
days.
Most tragically,
fifteen-year-old Jamal Ringrose lost his life following a stabbing on Dudden
Hill Lane. My thoughts are with
Jamal's family, friends and the wider community, including the local business
owners who came to his aid in the aftermath of the incident, showing the best
of our community. I fully recognise that
this investigation is ongoing and it would be inappropriate to speculate on the
circumstances.
Separately, there have
been two further incidents of knife violence in the vicinity of Willesden Green
Station and the surrounding alleyways and public spaces that residents have
repeatedly identified as locations associated with antisocial behaviour, drug
use and criminal activity.
I do not suggest that
these incidents can be attributed to any single cause, nor that they are
necessarily connected. However, residents are
entitled to ask whether longstanding concerns raised over many years have
received sufficient attention and whether more proactive intervention could
have reduced the conditions in which serious violence is able to emerge.
I therefore welcome your
response to the following requests:
1. A commitment to
immediate regular high-visibility patrols around Willesden Green Station,
Dollis Hill station and adjoining routes
2. Participation in
Multi-Agency Operation Walkabouts at an increased frequency when organised by
the Council
3. Immediate efforts to
reduce staff turnover, provide senior leadership responsibility, and reduce
staff abstraction in Willesden Green
4. Formal joint
operations between the Metropolitan Police and British Transport Police to
tackle drug dealing, violence and antisocial behaviour linked to transport hub,
with a greater focus on disrupting drug supply networks and repeat offenders
operating within the ward.
5. A ward-level violence
reduction strategy, including work with schools, youth services, community
groups and local partners to prevent young people becoming involved in crime.
6. Strengthening of the
Willesden Green Safer Neighbourhood Ward Panel as a forum for accountability,
with a commitment for SNT attendance irrespective of competing priorities, and
senior leadership participation.
I intend to share both
this letter and your response with residents, as transparency and
accountability are essential if public confidence is to be strengthened.
While I have no doubt
that individual officers and frontline staff are working hard under
considerable pressure, recent events indicate the collective response has not
been sufficiently coordinated, sustained or effective.
It seems clear to me
that the system as a whole is failing to prevent persistent antisocial
behaviour and serious violence, disrupt drug-related criminality, support
vulnerable people in crisis, and provide residents with the sense of safety
they deserve.
I look forward to your
reply and to working constructively with you to ensure that Willesden Green
receives sustained attention and long-term solutions.