Cllr Alexandre calls on the Met to make 'More Trust, Less Crime and High Standards' a reality for Harlesden - the Met responds

 

  

Cllr Amandine Alexandre, elected as a councillor for Harlesden and Kensal Green in May, has written to  the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams, Northwest Commander for Barnet, Brent and Harrow, Detective Superintendent Tony Bellis, Superintendent for Safer Neighbourhoods in Brent, Inspector Naomi Wilder, Inspector Harlesden and Kensal Green Safer Neighbourhoods Team, raising residents' concerns over policing in Harlesden.

 

The Green Party councillor wrote:

 

Dear Mayor of London, DCS Luke Williams, DS Tony Bells and Insp. Wilder,

 

I am writing to you as a councillor for Harlesden and Kensal Green and a long term local resident.

 

Over the last two months, I have received multiple emails and messages from Harlesden residents alerting me to drug taking, drug dealing, threats, thefts and antisocial behaviour happening on their doorstep as well as on the high street.

 

Since the three attempted murders in Golders Green on April 29th, the absence of police officers patrolling the streets of Harlesden has been worse than usual. Over the last three months, Harlesden and Kensal Green have lost out every time an urgent policing matter arose in north west London. 

 

Unsurprisingly, the dispatching of police officers to other neighbourhoods has led to an increase in the number of crimes reported to the police in Harlesden, as confirmed by Sergeant Sarney during a Safer Neighbourhood Panel meeting held on July 2nd.

 

Sergeant Sarney’s dedication to Harlesden is outstanding. The fact that he’s been in his job for about 5 years - whereas his predecessors only lasted a few months - says a lot about his commitment to our area and his professional ethos. However, with officers only available to focus on the ward Safer Neighbourhood Panel’s priorities 3-4 days per month, Sergeant Sarney is not able to serve the needs of our community.

 

Police officers are demoralised and the fact that the surge of police activity that we have been promised in August relies on them doing extra overtime does not bode well for local safety - nor does it for the health and wellbeing of members of the police.

 

Instead of burn-out police officers working with a very short term objective, our community needs a stable and visible police force, able to work collaboratively with residents, business owners, grassroots organisations and council services. In other words, action is required to ensure that the number of police officers deployed every week  in Harlesden is adequate to our policing needs.

 

Boots on the ground alone won’t be enough to make our area safer and overall more pleasant. We need all police officers to care about Harlesden as much as we do.

 

For years, we have been told that for crime to be tackled by the police in Harlesden we, residents, needed to report it to the police to build up the data. However, no amount of reporting will be sufficient if those reports are not followed up by action.

 

“If members of the public take the time to report crimes and provide evidence, but the police do not even follow up to collect it, what hope is there of improving the local area or tackling repeat offending?”,  a resident questioned in an email he sent me on May 14th.

 

Residents expect the same diligence from police officers than in less deprived areas of Brent, and London in general. And yet, based on incidents reported to me, it seems that some officers are not very inclined to tackle crime in Harlesden.

 

Recently, a police officer was encouraged by a member of the public to approach a person smoking crack a few meters away from their car. The officer didn’t budge “because it’s Harlesden” and “(they) don’t care”.

 

This incident is not dissimilar to another disturbing story that was recounted to me only last week.

 

A resident emailed me to complain about the fact that they had submitted 6 reports to the police about crack cocaine use on Craven Park Road but were yet to hear back from anyone. On one occasion, the same person walked past a police officer and immediately reported the incident to him. Despite the scene taking place a few minutes away from where the officer was standing, the witness was told to go online to create a report.

 

I think that you will agree with me that this haphazard kind of law enforcement is not up to the standards expected from our police forces. This is not conducive to people trusting the police to keep our neighbourhood safe.

 

I am therefore asking you for assurances that ;

●      the Harlesden Town Centre and Safer Neighbourhood Teams won’t be sent to over parts of the borough going forward,

●      a ward-level violence reduction strategy, including work with schools, youth services, community groups and local partners, is implemented in Harlesden,

●      police officers will be reminded that their duties to the public do not differ depending on the area they operate,

●      the person who will take over from Sergeant Sarney in the coming month shares the same level of commitment to Harlesden and Kensal Green as their predecessor.

 

More Trust, Less Crime and High Standards is the ambition the Met has set for itself. It is an ambition that needs to become a reality for residents, business owners, workers and organisations in Harlesden and Kensal Green.

 

Finally, I’d like to bring your attention to the fact that, as part of the Pride in Place government programme, Harlesden is about to receive £20 million over the next 10 years. For our neighbourhood to be more prosperous and more resilient, we need adequate policing resources in Harlesden. Otherwise, the risk is this grant won’t lead to any major improvement of people’s lives.

 

Thank you for the attention paid to my letter.

 

I look forward to hearing back from you and sharing your response with Harlesden and Kensal Green residents.

 

Kind regards,

 

Cllr Amandine Alexandre

Councillor for Harlesden and Kensal Green

 

Detective Superintendent Tony Bellis, Brent Safer Neighbourhoods, replied:

  

Dear Councillor Alexandre,

 

Thank you for your letter of 7 July 2026 regarding policing and community safety in Harlesden and Kensal Green. I recognise the concerns that you and residents have raised and welcome the opportunity to respond. 

 

The Metropolitan Police Service remains committed to tackling crime, anti-social behaviour and violence in Harlesden. I appreciate the impact that these issues can have on residents, businesses and visitors and I fully understand why communities rightly expect a visible and effective policing response. 

 

You raise concerns regarding neighbourhood policing resources and the deployment of officers. While I recognise those concerns, it is not possible for me to provide assurances that specific police teams will not be deployed elsewhere. Across London policing resources must remain capable of responding to emerging threats, serious incidents and operational demands. Decisions regarding deployments are therefore made on the basis of threat, harm and risk and are kept under constant review to ensure we meet our responsibilities to keep communities safe.

 

That said I want to reassure residents that we remain committed to maintaining a visible and effective neighbourhood policing presence in Harlesden. Neighbourhood policing is most effective when officers are able to build relationships with residents, businesses, schools, community groups and local partners over time. We recognise the importance of that continuity and remain committed to providing a regular and sustained neighbourhood policing service to the community.

 

While I recognise residents' concerns, it is important to note that Harlesden has continued to receive significant proactive policing activity in recent weeks.

 

Recent activity has included:

 

-       A Live Facial Recognition operation in Harlesden on 26 June, resulting in four arrests.

-       Operation Terminos 3 across Harlesden and Willesden Green, which resulted in twenty five arrests, including the arrest of wanted offenders and the recovery of drugs and a weapon.

-       Knife arch operations in Harlesden Town Centre which resulted in two arrests.

 

These outcomes demonstrate the continued focus being placed on tackling offending and addressing issues that matter to local residents.

 

You also refer to the development of strategies to address violence and wider community safety issues. While I recognise the importance of this work, there are already established and effective partnership arrangements in place through the Safer Brent Partnership and associated multi-agency forums. These arrangements bring together the Metropolitan Police, Brent Council, health partners, education providers, housing services, youth services, probation and community organisations to review emerging issues, share information, identify those most at risk of harm and coordinate both enforcement and preventative activity.

 

Through these forums, partners work collectively to address a range of issues including violence affecting young people, anti-social behaviour, substance misuse, exploitation, neighbourhood crime and safeguarding concerns. This enables a coordinated response that extends beyond enforcement activity alone and focuses on addressing the underlying causes of offending, vulnerability and community harm.

 

Community safety challenges within Harlesden are regularly considered through these established structures, ensuring that local concerns inform partnership priorities and activity. We will continue to work closely with our partners to ensure that resources, interventions and problem-solving activity are directed towards those areas and issues presenting the greatest threat, risk and harm.

 

 

I agree that all communities across Brent should receive a professional and consistent service. We continue to work closely with neighbourhood policing teams to ensure that reports from the public are assessed appropriately and that officers remain focused on the issues causing the greatest harm within our communities.

 

I would also like to join you in recognising Sergeant Sarney's commitment to Harlesden over recent years. The value of strong neighbourhood policing leadership is fully understood, and we remain committed to maintaining effective engagement with residents, businesses and local partners.

 

Harlesden is an important part of Brent and remains a priority for local policing. While no single agency can address these challenges alone, we will continue to work alongside residents, councillors, Brent Council and our wider partners to tackle crime, anti-social behaviour and the issues that matter most to the community.

 

Thank you again for writing.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Detective Superintendent Tony Bellis
Safer Neighbourhoods – Brent

 

Brent Planning Officers recommend approval of Harlesden Adult Gaming Centre despite opposition from police and local councillors

 

Tonight's Planning Committee is full of controversial planning applications with Mumbai Junction and Kilburn Square returning to the Agenda (there is a Supplementary Report on Kilburn Square HERE) and are expected to have speakers making the case for refusal of planning permission.

You can watch the meeting live online HERE

Also returning to the Agenda is an application to turn two neglected shops on Park Parade, Harlesden into an Adult Gaming Centre (AGC) and reduced size betting shop.  Objectors cite anti-social behaviour and the presence of other AGC's in the area as reasons for objection. There is the additional moral and public health case against the exploitative nature of gambling joints in poor areas.

The application is unusual in that it is being opposed by local councillors, community organisations and the police:

60 objections were received in total inclusive of objections from Councillors, Harlesden Neighbourhood Forum and Harlesden Area Action Group, the Police Safer Neighbourhood Team and the Salvation Army.

 

The following Councillors objected:

 

Cllr Mili Patel –Harlesden and Kensal Green Ward

Cllr Jumbo Chan – Harlesden and Kensal Green Ward

Cllr Jake Rubin – Roundwood Ward

Cllr Elliot Chappell – Roundwood Ward

Cllr Fleur Donnelly – Jackson – Roundwood Ward

The Police objections are raised in a Supplementary Report that you can read HERE and I post an extract below:

An objection was received from the Met Police Designing Out Crime Officer, noting the following matters:

 

· That the close proximity of the public house (opposite) and off-licences either side and the nearby pawn shop can create a nurturing habitat for street drinking which in turn can increase the risk of antisocial behaviour (ASB);

· That the alleyway to the rear is not well observed and has poor natural surveillance;

· That the main entrance is recessed and provide a concealment opportunity and could be used as a toilet or to take drugs;

· That there is no mention of security in the proposal or a management plan;

· That the proposal indicates that the AGC won’t be staffed and could therefore be exploited by drug dealers or users. They consider that persons should be vetted prior to entry to ensure they are of suitable age and have not been barred;

· That the windows onto the street need to allow for surveillance into and out from the centre.

 

They also highlight that the local policing team raised the following concerns:

 

· That Park Parade has the second highest figures for recorded ASB in the town centre and is a known area where robbery often occurs, and for drug offences (both possession and supply);

· That there are organised gangs of drug dealers in Park Parade taking over and using premises to conduct their activities, and that an unsupervised venue will allow this to happen out of police view;

· That last year, an operation was conducted in the High Street where a betting shop was used by a 20 strong gang to drug deal out of sight;

· That there is a nearby college and school and that their pupils frequent Park Parade on their way to and from the education facility and could be influenced by the venue and its cliental;

· That there is a nightclub and public house opposite;

· That the town centre already has a street drinking problem contributing to ASB , and that the betting shop venues attract street drinkers;

· That there have been 6 Closure Orders in Park Parade relating to premises causing ASB or allowing criminality.

 

The Met Police advise that they have a number of recommendations should the application be granted, including:

· Security rated entrance doors;

· Video and auto intercom at entrance to ensure potential guests are vetted prior to entry;

· Glazing to main façade meets BSEN standards, with a roller shutter fixed to the exterior;

· That the recessed entrances are removed or have shutters or grills to eliminate this overnight;

· That the rear escape doors are alarmed and that they have a sufficient security rating;

· That the walls and doors of any cash room are security rated;

· That any external mailbox meets specific certification levels;

· That CCTV (with complementary lighting) is provided to specific standards and maintained by certified companies;

· That intruder alarms are installed

· That the applicant liaises with the MPS North West Licensing team.

 

Officers' comment:

The matters raised by the Met Police are acknowledged.

You might think the evidence supplied by the police is pretty daming but nevertheless planning officers recommend approval:

Recommendation: That planning permission is granted subject to the conditions set out in the report  and an additional condition requiring formal Secured by Design accreditation prior to first occupation of the units.

 

The premises shall not be used expect between the hours of 0800 hours and 2230 hours Sundays to Thursdays and between 0800 hours and 2300 hours Friday and Saturdays without the written consent of the Local Planning Authority.

 

Reason: To ensure that the proposed development does not prejudice the enjoyment by neighbouring occupiers of their properties.’