Mapesbury Ward Panel meeting: Tuesday 10 November 2020. 6:30pm (Hosted by A/Sgt Anne Collyer)

Present: Act Sgt Anne Collyer, PCSO Ajay Dhokia, Cllr Lia Colacicco, Cllr Ahmad Shahzad, Cll Tariq Dar, Marie Hancock, Carol Reeman, Danny Maher, Sally Long, Shaheen Mufti, Catherine Dack, Donna Gutteridge, Paul Durban, Setareh Moini, Ranjiv Goonawardena, Steve Mccormack, Belinda Syme, Jacob Sam, Noah Okunromade (Brent Council), Raakesh Shah (Brent Council), Angela Payne (Chair)

Apologies: Steve Iliffe, Niall Mcginley, Gerry Weston, PC Claire Leach

The Mapesbury Ward Panel thanked Gerry Weston for his service as the panel chairman over the past few years. Gerry has stepped down from the role but will continue to be involved in as a member of the panel. Angela Payne was welcomed as the new chair.

Angela confirmed membership of the Ward Panel, as detailed in the list circulated, with the addition of Paul Durban (Anson Road) and Niall Mcginley (Hoveden Road). Under GDPR she requested permission to openly circulate information to the Panel via emails.  This was agreed.

1. Mapesbury SNT team members: A/Inspector Yu Zhang (covering 21 wards), Act Sgt Anne Collyer (covering Mapesbury, Dollis Hill and Kilburn), PC Claire Leach, PC Ayesha Mirza, PC James Crowley (until March 2021), PCSO Ajay Dhokia

2. Ward Crime Summary

Burglary.  There has been an increase since the end of March 2020. However, a massive decrease compared to 2019. An increase of burglaries around Christmas time is expected.

Motor Vehicle Crime. There has been a slight increase. People are still leaving valuable items in their vehicles and on display. Majority of cases involve theft from motor vehicles. Actual thefts of vehicles remain rare.

Drug Offences/Anti Social Behaviour.  Stop and search means more people get caught and as a result, more cases documented. There has been a notable increase since March 2020 following the drugs supply increasing again. 2019 was comparably low in drug cases.

Top 3 Most Reported Crimes in September

  • Assault without Injury. 12 incidents, mainly centred on the Cricklewood Broadway / Chichele Road.
  • Theft from vehicle. Cases have increased. Residents encouraged to make sure valuables are concealed and that vehicles are actually locked. RFID signal blocker wallets for fob keys can be obtained from (some) car insurance companies and from online vendors.
  • Violence. 11 incidents situated near Cricklewood Broadway, in the Mapesbury area and near Mora Primary School.

3. Team Activity.

  • A number of crack houses have been identified on the ward which is currently being dealt with from the SNT in partnership with Brent Council. The landlords for these properties are liaising with the police and the Council to resolve this matter. This is a priority and landlords involved are being dealt with firmly. Residents aware of any multiple occupancy buildings used for such activities are encouraged to report immediately.
  • Operation HU was to target drug dealing across the ward. A number of individuals and properties were identified as supplying drugs. This resulted in 12 arrests with a number of police resources deployed to tackle the problem.
  • There has been an increase in robberies and violence across the ward and the Met in general. A number of teams have been patrolling the ward to tackle this problem. The team have been assisted by Violent Crime Task Force (VCTF) and Violent Suppression Unit (VSU).
  • The team assisted the homicide team for a murder in Kilburn that occurred in July. With the dedication of the team along with Kilburn SNT the suspect was identified and was arrested by PC Claire Leach. The investigation into this is still on-going.
  • Having completed Autumn Night patrols Mapesbury SNT along with Dollis Hill SNT and Kilburn SNT intend to conduct late shift burglary patrols on all three wards for the lead up to Christmas
  • Anson Road murder case suspects have been found guilty and await sentencing.
  • With the new covid-19 restrictions, the team will continue to patrol around the ward. The team encourages all residents and members of public to follow the guidelines set by the Government – ‘Hands, Face, Space’
  • Mapesbury Ward is 11th in the table of Brent SNT’s currently for crime activity, which is as usual.

4. Other Business

  • Anne – Currently dealing with Danna’s case (Ivy Road intrusion) reported at the last meeting.
  • Angela – Noise issues raised. Raakesh encouraged the use of the Noise App** and requested feedback from users.
  • Ahmad – Loitering and other issues around Station Parade (Willesden Green Station), near the Bank and Blenheim Gardens. Residents have complained about occurrences. Ajay: Patrols have been taking place and nothing found. Residents should report immediately when incidents occur.
  • Ahmad – Mental health issues expected to increase with second Lockdown and Christmas approaching. Residents encouraged to be supportive.
  • Tariq – Issues with fugitives and crack houses raised. Ajay confirms the team are making arrests and dealing with the situation and protecting residents.
  • Lia – Coffee shop on Cricklewood Broadway not complying with social distancing rules. Ajay and team working with Brent Council to make sure clients are masked and keeping distance.
  • Carol – People using (blocked off) gym equipment in Gladstone Park. Ajay encourages residents to report to Brent Council.*** Noah and Raakesh (Brent Council) aware of the situation and monitoring ongoing in the Park.
  • Sally – Speeding issues on Olive Road. Ajay confirmed the issue should be flagged with Brent Council.

5. Communication summary

6. Community Contact Sessions

The Community sessions which would have had neighbours involved with an issue meeting at the police station will now continue online.  The priority for these sessions are for Sylvan Grove (Setareh) and Anson Road (Paul).   Their leads to contact Ajay to arrange for an online one hour meeting to discuss their specific area issue, but with a reminder of confidentiality regarding names and detailed address.  Angela asked for confirmation that these sessions have taken place; they can be reviewed at the next Panel meeting.

7. SNT Priorities for next 3 months. Retained as:

  • Burglary
  • Motor Vehicle crime
  • Anti-Social Behaviour / Drugs

8. Any other business

Angela advised that there was concern that the roadworks currently being undertaken on the Broadway /Cricklewood Lane will not include a Signal assisted pedestrian crossing at the top of Chichele Road.  The Cricklewood Town Team and the SNT back in 2014, following monitoring of people undertaking the crossing there, had considered a signal assisted version was required.  She will meet with Ajay to discuss this matter.

Next meeting:  February TBA.