Support for Victims

Report of Community Safety Committee

March 2016

Members of Community Safety Scrutiny Committee

Cllr Shabana Dhedhi, Chair

Cllr Jacob Edwards, Vice-Chair

Cllr Roy Berg

Cllr Sally Littlejohn

Philip Dundon, Co-opted Member

Executive Summary

1.1 Victims of crime look to a range of agencies for help and support, including local authorities. This is especially true for victims of anti-social behaviour where councils have clear responsibilities through the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, alongside housing and health partners.

1.2 The Community Safety Scrutiny Committee looked specifically at the issues around support for victims at two meetings, taking evidence from the Neighbourhoods Team, and the Metropolitan Police Service about the work undertaken in this area.

1.3 The Council has priority to “keep your neighbourhood clean and safe” and has moved to a neighbourhood model to ensure that it is responsive to the needs of residents on issues like anti-social behaviour. A new Community Trigger has also been introduced to ensure that victims of anti-social behaviour can be confident that they will be listened to.

Crime in Waltham Forest

1.4 There has been a steady fall in recorded crime in Waltham Forest since 2011, and in 2014/15 there were 20,770 recorded offences in Waltham Forest and 16,866 in the first seven months of 2015/16. The Mayor of London has designated seven ‘neighbourhood crimes’ as priorities, and between 2012/13 and 2014/15, they were down by 22.4per cent in Waltham Forest, and have further fallen by 7.3per cent in the six months to September 2015.

1.5 The Committee welcomes the progress that has been made in tackling the crimes identified by the Mayor of London at a London-wide and borough level. As the Victims Commissioner has said, “If offenders can be rehabilitated, or made subject to appropriate controls, the risk of re-victimisation and of creating new victims is reduced.”

1.6 The Council also has indicators which measure progress on the specific crimes of robbery and anti-social behaviour, and measures reoffending by young offenders, re-review of domestic violence cases and successful completion of drug treatment. These provide reassurance to victims and the wider public about what work they can expect the Council to prioritise.

Fear of Crime

1.7 Despite reductions in crime rates in the borough, over the past year there has been a seven per cent fall in the percentage of residents that are satisfied with what is being done to tackle crime locally. This has been accompanied by a significant increase in the proportion of residents that are worried about crime, from 26 per cent to 38 per cent.

1.8 One of the things that the public finds reassuring is a police presence on the streets. As a result of a concerted campaign by the Council, the MPS agreed that the borough needed an additional 119 officers to meet residents’ needs. The Council is also currently funding an extra four police officers, which is met by a further commitment from the MPS of four additional officers. Since these additional officers have been deployed in Waltham Forest, Waltham Forest has seen the second biggest reduction in the neighbourhood crime identified by the Mayor across London.

1.9 Despite the protection given to the police budget over the lifetime of the spending review, there will inevitably be some shifting around of money in the wake of changing priorities. There are proposals to merge the borough commander role across Harrow and Brent in order to save money, but it is a high priority for local residents that the neighbourhood model is maintained as well as the police numbers committed to the borough.

Anti-Social Behaviour

1.10 Anti-social behaviour does not just have an impact on individuals: ASB directed at public spaces and buildings such as littering can also be upsetting as it changes the way that the area looks for the worse.

1.11 The MPS Public Attitudes Survey shows that in Waltham Forest people are more worried about rubbish or litter lying around than people using or dealing drugs, and more worried about people being drunk or rowdy in public places than about gang violence.

1.12 The Council has put in place a new Neighbourhood Team, breaking down the borough into four areas: North, Central, South East and South West. Each Area has their own Neighbourhood ASB Officer who work from a hub within that area, and a Victim Champion who is based at Sycamore House on the Town Hall complex.

1.13 These changes have helped to make the officers more visible and responsive to the public. However, it can still be difficult to find information on the website about how to report ASB or find details for the Area Teams, especially for residents who do not have access to the internet.

Alcohol1.14 MPS data shows that 23 per cent of residents in Waltham

Forest feel there is a problem with people being drunk or rowdy in public places, higher than the rate for London.

1.15 Waltham Forest is currently considering how to build a better night-time economy, with a significantly improved offer at Walthamstow centred focussed around The Scene, and the Council already has Public Space Protection Orders in the borough, and reducing “hospital admissions for alcohol and substance misuse” is one the performance measures agreed as part of Waltham Forest’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy for 2016 – 2020. However, more could be done to reassure the public in this area.

Victims Charters

1.16 The support that victims can expect to receive is often set out in victims charters, which set out how victims can expected to be treated by different agencies and what service standards they can expect.

1.17 Despite the Council’s responsibilities for tackling anti-social behaviour, and new duties on the community trigger, the Council does not have its own victims charter or code of practice for ASB. This seems to be a missed opportunity to provide reassurance to residents about the services that are delivered by the Council and that their concerns in this area will be taken seriously.

Summary of Recommendations

Recommendation 1: We recommend that Victim Support are invited to come to a Community Safety Scrutiny Committee meeting next year, perhaps when progress in implementing the other recommendations in this report are considered.

Recommendation 2: We recommend that in setting its targets for the 16/17 financial year, the Council’s key performance indicators are set within the first quarter so that the public can better understand the Council’s priorities and how it is working to keep them safe.

Recommendation 3: We recommend that the Portfolio Lead Member for Community Safety and Cohesion write to the Mayor of London after the election in May seeking assurances that: previous policing commitments made to Waltham Forest Council and its residents continue to be fulfilled and maintained; and that local policing arrangements, including the role of the borough commander, are protected as part of any cross-borough reorganisation of services.

Recommendation 4. We recommend that an update is provided to the Community Safety Scrutiny Committee next municipal year about monitoring arrangements for the Neighbourhoods out of hours service.

Recommendation 5: We recommend that as part of this refresh information about the Neighbourhoods Teams and reporting ASB be made more prominent on the Council’s website so that it is easier for members of the public to find.

Recommendation 6: We recommend that as part of the move to a “digital by default strategy”, the Council monitors how people who are not able to access the internet, who will often be vulnerable individuals, access ASB services to ensure that their needs are properly met.

Recommendation 7: We recommend that as part of its commitment to “keeping your neighbourhood clean and safe”, the Council considers creating a key performance indicator measuring action aimed at reducing the impact of drunk or rowdy behaviour.

Recommendation 8: We recommend that the Portfolio Lead Member liaises with the Borough Commander to consider drawing up a specific strategy setting out agreed actions from the Council and the MPS addressing public concerns about the impact of drunk or rowdy behaviour.

Recommendation 9: We recommend that the Portfolio Lead Member for Community Safety write to the MPS asking if it would consider presenting the Code of Practice in a simpler way.

Recommendation 10: We recommend that the Council considers creating a victims charter, clearly setting out what the Council’s responsibilities are in relation to offences classed as anti-social behaviour. This should also include the service standards that residents can expect, information about how to complain, and information about the new Community Trigger.

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Introduction2.1 The Community Safety Committee is undertaking two themed reviews across the

2015/16 municipal year: as well as this review on support for victims, we have already completed a report on domestic violence. A substantial part of that report focussed on the support that is available to victims of domestic violence and our report and recommendations were discussed at the Council’s Cabinet on 22nd March.

2.2 This report looks more widely at support for victims. As well as reviewing the implementation of the community trigger, which came into force in 2014, we have looked at the wider issue of anti-social behaviour and the Council’s new approach, through the move to a neighbourhood model. The Committee also looked at how the Metropolitan Police Service works to support victims and whether there is anything the Council could replicate.

2.3 The Code of Practice for Victims (The Victims’ Code) defines a victim as someone who has made an allegation to the police in England and Wales that they have directly experienced criminal conduct, or that an allegation has been made on their behalf.1

2.4 However, the Victims Commissioner works to a wider definition: “I include victims of all crime, not just crime that is classified as ‘serious’. I consider that individuals and communities who suffer from anti-social behaviour are also victims.”

2.5 For the purposes of this report, the Committee is using the wider definition, especially as the Council has responsibilities for anti-social behaviour and many residents affected by these issues look to the Council for help.

2.6 Support offered to victims has been a feature of a large number of our agenda items across the 2015/16 municipal year, and in writing this report and its recommendations we have also drawn on the Council’s performance data which is presented to the Committee on a regular basis.

2.7 For the purposes of this review we specifically looked at support for victims at two meetings:

1 https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/476900/code-of-practice-for-victims-of-crime.PDF

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on 14th October the Committee heard from the Metropolitan Police Service about their work with victims of crime,2

on 24th November the Committee heard from the Neighbourhoods Team about how they are working to implement the new community trigger, which allows the public to ask for a case to be reviewed where nothing has been done or the case has not been resolved satisfactorily, and how anti-social behaviour is tackled.3

2.8 The Committee had hoped to hear from Victim Support, but owing to staffing changes they were unable to attend. We recommend that Victim Support are invited to come to a Community Safety Scrutiny Committee meeting next year, perhaps when progress in implementing the other recommendations in this report are considered.

2.9 This report will look at what is happening to crime in Waltham Forest, residents’ fear of crime and the impact of the neighbourhood policing model, what the Council does in response to anti-social behaviour and the more specific problem of alcohol related disturbances.

2 http://democracy.walthamforest.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=552&MId=3887&Ver=4

3 http://democracy.walthamforest.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=552&MId=3888&Ver=4

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Crime in Waltham Forest3.1 The table below shows the most recently available rate of recorded offences per 1,000

residents.4

3.2 This means that in 2014/15 there were 20,770 recorded offences in Waltham Forest and 16,866 in the first seven months of 2015/16.

3.3 The Mayor of London’s Police and Crime Plan has also designated seven ‘neighbourhood crimes’ as priorities, with an aim to reduce their incidence by 20per cent between 2013 and 2016.5 The so-called ‘MOPAC 7’ were all chosen because they are all “victim based offences”. These are:

4 The rate of recorded offences is the number of recorded offences per 1,000 people. The 2015/16 figures run up to October 2015. The data is available here: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcmper cent3A77-401866

5https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/gla_migrate_files_destination/MOPACper cent20Policeper cent20andper cent20Crimeper cent20Planper cent202013-16.pdf

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burglary,

vandalism,

criminal damage,

theft of and from motor vehicles,

violence with injury,

robbery,

theft from the person.

3.4 There has been a considerable reduction in the number of offences for the ‘MOPAC 7’ since the 2012/13 financial year. Between 2012/13 and 2014/15, they were down by 22.4 per cent in Waltham Forest, and have further fallen by 7.3 per cent in the six months to September 2015.6

3.5 The most effective way of supporting victims is by stopping them from becoming victims of crimes in the first place. As the Victims Commissioner points out, “If offenders can be rehabilitated, or made subject to appropriate controls, the risk of re-victimisation and of creating new victims is reduced.”7 We welcome the progress that has been made in tackling the crimes identified by the Mayor of London at a London-wide and borough level.

3.6 The Council has five priorities for the services it will deliver to residents between 2015-18, one of which is to ‘keep your neighbourhood clean and safe’.8 The measurement of progress against this priority includes the specific crimes of robbery and anti-social behaviour. The Council also measures reoffending by young offenders, re-review of domestic violence cases and successful completion of drug treatment.

6 http://democracy.walthamforest.gov.uk/documents/s49860/1.1per cent20Appendixper cent201per cent20-per cent20Communityper cent20safetyper cent20Performanceper cent20Reportper cent20-per cent20Quarterper cent202per cent202015-16.pdf

7 http://victimscommissioner.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/VC_Annual-Report-2013-14.pdf

8 http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/Documents/WFNper cent20Issueper cent20131per cent20webper cent20fullper cent20doc.pdf

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3.7 These indicators reflect the role that the Council has in reducing offending within the borough. They provide reassurance to victims and the wider public about what work they can expect the Council to prioritise. Given this, the Committee was disappointed that when we were presented with an update on these key performance indicators in January 2016, a number of them had not had targets set for the 2015/16 year.

3.8 We understand that the process for setting targets is being revised, and we recommend that in setting its targets for the 16/17 financial year, the Council’s key performance indicators in this area are set within the first quarter so that the public can better understand the Council’s priorities and how it is working to keep them safe.

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Fear of Crime4.1 It is possible for people to feel victimised by crime without having a crime being

committed against them, through a fear of crime. The Council’s Resident Insight Survey measures:

the percentage of residents who agree that the Council is making our community a safer place

the percentage of residents who are satisfied with what is being done to tackle crime in the local area

the percentage of residents who say they are concerned about crime

4.2 As the above graph shows, there has been a considerable reduction in the overall crime rate over the past five years, as well as a reduction in the ‘MOPAC 7’ that exceeds the Mayor of London’s target.

4.3 Despite these reductions, over the past year there has been a 7 per cent fall in the percentage of residents that are satisfied with what is being done to tackle crime locally. This has been accompanied by a significant increase in the proportion of residents that are worried about crime, from 26 per cent to 38 per cent.

4.4 The factors that drive fear and crime are varied and complex. One of the things that the public finds reassuring is a police presence on the streets. The neighbourhood policing model currently in operation by the MPS lists priorities and promises for each ward, as well as including the names and photographs of the police officers assigned to that ward9. For example, the MPS says that in Forest Ward its priorities are theft and/or taking of motor vehicles, burglary and anti-social behaviour by youths loitering and it has made promises to tackle litter, and to visit every house within a specified street each week.10

4.5 When the Borough Commander came to the Committee, there was discussion about whether it was possible to maintain the neighbourhood policing model in the wake of

9 http://content.met.police.uk/Team/WalthamForest

10 http://content.met.police.uk/Team/WalthamForest/Forest

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the suggested reduction of police budgets in the run up to the announcement of the outcomes of the government’s spending review. It is possible that discussion in the media about the future of the neighbourhood policing model, and reductions in crime which give isolated incidents greater prominence in the community, have driven increases in the fear of crime and reduction in confidence about what is being done to tackle crime.

4.6 At the spending review the government decided to maintain the police budget in cash terms. It currently appears that the neighbourhood model is secure, but we recognise that resourcing for this model is still under pressure.

4.7 As a result of a concerted campaign by the Council, the MPS agreed that the borough needed an additional 119 officers to meet residents’ needs11. The Council is also currently funding an extra four police officers, which is met by a further commitment from the MPS of four additional officers. Since these additional officers have been deployed in Waltham Forest, we have seen the second biggest reduction in the “MOPAC 7” across London, significantly greater than our neighbours.

4.8 Despite the protection given to the police budget over the lifetime of the spending review, there will inevitably be some shifting around of money in the wake of changing priorities. We are aware that proposals are being considered to merge the borough commander role across Harrow, and Brent in order to save money12, but we consider it to be high priority for local residents that the neighbourhood model is maintained as well as the police numbers committed to the borough.

4.9 We recommend that the Portfolio Lead Member for Community Safety and Cohesion write to the Mayor of London after the election in May seeking assurances that: previous policing commitments made to Waltham Forest Council and its residents continue to be fulfilled and maintained; and that local policing arrangements, including the role of the borough commander, are protected as part of any cross-borough reorganisation of services.

11 https://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/Documents/WFNper cent20Issueper cent20107.pdf

12http://www.harrowtimes.co.uk/news/14185859.Proposal_to_merge_policing_in_Harrow__Barnet_and_Brent_sparks_fears_resources_will_be_diverted_away_from_the_borough/

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Anti-Social Behaviour5.1 Whilst the MPS takes a lead on community safety issues within London, one of the

areas where local authorities have clear responsibilities is anti-social behaviour (ASB) through the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, alongside housing and health partners.

5.2 The MPS says that “the term anti-social behaviour covers a wide range of unacceptable activity that blights the lives of many people on a daily basis. It often leaves victims feeling helpless, desperate and with a seriously reduced quality of life.”13

5.3 ASB does not just have an impact on individuals: ASB directed at public spaces and buildings such as littering can also be upsetting as it changes the way that the area looks for the worse.

5.4 The MPS Public Attitudes Survey shows that in Waltham Forest people are more worried about rubbish or litter lying around than people using or dealing drugs, and more worried about people being drunk or rowdy in public places than about gang violence.14

5.5 This in part reflects the hard work that has been done in Waltham Forest and across London to tackle drug use and dealing and gang violence. But it also shows the extent to which residents want to see anti-social behaviour tackled.

5.6 As part of the Council’s priority to “keep your neighbourhood clean and safe”, it made a commitment to “establishing an anti-social behaviour team to help keep our streets feeling safe” whose remit “includes everything from fly-tipping, graffiti, noise, nuisance and other offences.”15

5.7 In response to a sad number of isolated cases where repeated ASB has led to tragedy, the 2014 Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act simplified the reporting processes around ASB. It introduced a “community trigger” to ensure that

13 http://content.met.police.uk/Article/What-is-antisocial-behaviour/1400022084553/1400022084553

14 http://democracy.walthamforest.gov.uk/documents/s49860/1.1per cent20Appendixper cent201per cent20-per cent20Communityper cent20safetyper cent20Performanceper cent20Reportper cent20-per cent20Quarterper cent202per cent202015-16.pdf

15 http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/Documents/WFNper cent20Issueper cent20131per cent20webper cent20fullper cent20doc.pdf

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local authorities and the police were joined up in their response to ASB to prevent repeat offences from spiralling out of control.

5.8 The introduction of these new powers and responsibilities for the Council coincided with the restructuring of the Neighbourhoods team. Previously the ASB team consisted of a Senior ASB officer, 4 caseworkers, a Victim Champion and a police officer. These people were all based at Rowan House in Leytonstone, and worked 9 – 5.

5.9 The new Neighbourhood Team have broken down the borough into four areas: North, Central, South East and South West. Each Area has their own Neighbourhood ASB Officer who work from a hub within that area, and a Victim Champion who is based at Sycamore House on the Town Hall complex. There is also a Neighbourhood Senior Specialist with responsibility for ASB. This has been accompanied by a change in working patterns, as Neighbourhood Officers now have out of hours noise and nuisance duties.

5.10 We welcome these changes, which have helped to make the officers more visible and responsive to the public. This can be seen in the change in the number of complaints handled by the team. In 2014 the old team handled 220 cases: in 2015 new Neighbourhoods team handled 418 cases – nearly twice as many.

5.11 However, we were surprised that out of hours data for noise or anti-social behaviour is not available. We are pleased that the team will potentially have the capacity for out of hours monitoring and early identification of repeat victimisation at the start of the 2016/17 year. We recommend that an update is provided to the Community Safety Scrutiny Committee next municipal year about monitoring arrangements for the Neighbourhoods out of hours service.

5.12 The Neighbourhoods Model provides the reassurance to the public that there is a named manager looking after their area, and having a specific ASB caseworkers based within that area helps to ensure that these problems are properly tackled.

5.13 However, we do not feel that it is easy enough for the public to access information about their Neighbourhoods Teams through the Council’s website.

5.14 There are currently a number of ways in which members of the public can report anti-social behaviour, and specific forms that can be accessed through the Council’s website. However, we believe that information relating to ASB, and who has responsibility for different areas, for example reporting noise, can be difficult to locate. Barking and Dagenham’s website, by contrast, has a clear icon on the

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homepage for “community safety and crime” which takes residents to an easily navigable page with links covering ASB and reporting crime.16

Barking and Dagenham Council Homepage

5.15 We are aware that the Council’s website is shortly to be refreshed, and we recommend that as part of this refresh information about the Neighbourhoods Teams and information about reporting ASB be made more prominent on the Council’s website so that it is easier for members of the public to find.

5.16 The use of the website to report ASB will increase as the Council is moving to a “digital by default” strategy17, meaning that it is anticipated that residents use digital communication as their primary rout to contact the Council.

5.17 However, many vulnerable people within the community are not able to use the internet or access smart technology, and these will often be the people who are most

16 https://www.lbbd.gov.uk/residents/

17 http://democracy.walthamforest.gov.uk/documents/s44789/FINALper cent20-per cent20Digitalper cent20Customerper cent20Serviceper cent20andper cent20Businessper cent20Support.pdf

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fearful of crime and at risk of becoming the target of anti-social behaviour.18 We are pleased that as part of its move to Digital by Default” that the Council has acknowledged the impact this could have on these groups. We recommend that as part of the move to a “digital by default strategy”, that the Council monitors how people who are not able to access the internet, who will often be vulnerable individuals, access ASB services to ensure that their needs are properly met.

Alcohol6.1 MPS data shows that 23 per cent of residents in Waltham Forest feel there is a

problem with people being drunk or rowdy in public places, higher than the rate for London. When the new Borough Commander addressed the committee, DCS Tucker told us that in his opinion “licensed premises and hostels were typically sources of disorderly behaviour, and the he had sought to work closely with licensees and the licensing authority.”19

6.2 Waltham Forest is currently considering how to build a better night-time economy, with a significantly improved offer at Walthamstow centred focussed around The Scene. The Council already has Public Space Protection Orders in the borough, where a police constable or police community support officer can request people not consume alcohol, and reducing “hospital admissions for alcohol and substance misuse” is one the performance measures agreed as part of Waltham Forest’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy for 2016 – 2020.

6.3 However, given the public anxiety around issues connected to excessive consumption of alcohol we recommend that as part of its commitment to “keeping your neighbourhood clean and safe” that the Council considers creating a key performance indicator measuring action aimed at reducing the impact of drunk or rowdy behaviour.

18 http://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/propensity-for-social-exclusion-of-older-people-in-london--report-/resource/de99d621-cb0e-4753-a506-275db1d1794e#; http://www.ageuk.org.uk/Documents/EN-GB/For-professionals/Research/Ageper cent20UKper cent20Digitalper cent20Inclusionper cent20Evidenceper cent20Reviewper cent202013.pdf?dtrk=true

19 http://democracy.walthamforest.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=552&MId=3887&Ver=4

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6.4 We recommend that the Portfolio Lead Member liaises with the Borough Commander to consider drawing up a specific strategy setting out agreed actions from the Council and the MPS addressing public concerns about the impact of drunk or rowdy behaviour.

Victims Charters7.1 The support that victims can expect to receive is often set out in victims charters,

which set out how victims can expected to be treated by different agencies and what service standards they can expect.

7.2 The “Code of Practice for Victims” on the MPS website has been published by the Office of Criminal Justice Reform, and tells you what victims can expect from the police, Witness Care Unit, Crown Prosecution Service, Her Majesty’s Court Service and Youth Offending Team.

7.3 When we looked at the Code of Practice for Victims on the MPS website we were surprised at its length - the Code runs to 21 pages, so long that an accompanying guide has had to be published.

7.4 Victims Charters are important documents, and are enforceable by the relevant ombudsmen. Properly enshrining victims’ rights ensures that there are clear standards that public bodies have to abide by.

7.5 As part of our domestic violence review we have already recommend that “the MPS establishes a focus group of victims of domestic violence to provide feedback about whether the charter is meeting the specific needs of those who have experienced domestic violence.

7.6 However, we are concerned that the length of this Code could be off-putting for victims of crime. We recommend that the Portfolio Lead Member for Community Safety write to the MPS asking if it would consider presenting the Code of Practice in a simpler way.

7.7 We have also noted that despite the Council’s responsibilities for tackling anti-social behaviour, and new duties on the community trigger, that the Council does not have its own victims charter or code of practice for ASB.

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7.8 This seems to be a missed opportunity to provide reassurance to residents about the services that are delivered by the Council and that their concerns in this area will be taken seriously.

7.9 We recommend that the Council considers creating a victims charter, clearly setting out what the Council’s responsibilities are in relation to offences classed as anti-social behaviour. This should also include the service standards that residents can expect, information about how to complain, and information about the new Community Trigger.

7.10 The police service standards could perhaps be a starting point as they clearly set out when victims of crime can expect to be contacted at each stage of the process. However, we would urge that this document be as brief as possible to make it easy for residents to understand what they can expect in the unfortunate circumstance that they become a victim of ASB. Any agreed standard on service delivery should also aim to cover the three agencies responsible for tackling ASB in the borough – the Council, MPS and Waltham Forest Homes.

The Charter for Victims supported by the Police says that they will:

• tell you if there is not going to be an investigation into the crime within five days of you reporting the crime

• give you a copy of, or make sure you have access to, the local ‘Victims of crime’ leaflet

• refer your details to the voluntary organisation Victim Support, unless you ask them not to (this will not apply for a small number of victims)

• keep you updated on a monthly basis until the case is closed

• tell you if there is a possibility that the case may be reviewed at a later date and ask you if you want to be informed of any reviews

• assign you a Family Liaison Officer if you have lost a family member through murder or manslaughter, and provide you with a support pack

• tell you if someone is arrested within one day if you are receiving the enhanced service or within five days for other victims

• tell you if they release a suspect with no further action being taken within one day if you are receiving the enhanced service or within five days for other victims

• tell you when they release a suspect on bail and let you know if there are any bail conditions and when those conditions are altered within one day if you are receiving the enhanced service or within five days for other victims

• tell you about a decision they take to charge or not charge a suspect within one day if you are receiving the enhanced service or within five days for other victims.

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Conclusion8.1 Crime and anti-social behaviour can have a huge impact on people’s lives, and we

welcome the work that is being done by the MPS and the Council to keep people safe and to support victims. A ‘neighbourhoods’ approach to be valued by residents, and we are pleased that the MPS neighbourhoods model appears to be safe for the time being, and that the Council has also moved towards this model to help reduce anti-social behaviour.

8.2 The recommendations set out in the report should help the Council and its partners to take this support further, and ensure not only that crime and anti-social continues to fall in Waltham Forest, but that residents are aware of this work and that residents’ fear of crime is also reduced.

Policy and Public Affairs Team

Culture and Communities Directorate

Waltham Forest Council

Waltham Forest Town Hall

Forest Road

London E17 4JF