The last few years have seen our police forces overstretched and under resourced. There have been massive cuts to policing in London, but more overly, there is a false perception that Wanstead has a low crime rate. This is simply not true.
According to the Met violence and harassment made up the largest set of crimes to occur in Wanstead, followed by theft from vehicles.
And when you compare crime levels Wanstead does relatively badly. In winter 2021 there were eight crimes per 1,000 residents in London, seven per 1,000 in Redbridge and six per 1,000 in Wanstead. So the idea that crime is much lower here compared to the rest of, say, Redbridge doesn’t seem right.
The biggest crimes in Wanstead are classed as “violent crime” and “anti-social behaviour” and since 2015 in London, all crime has been rising year on year.
Wanstead used to have a police station but the Tory mayor closed it, and the current Labour mayor has left Redbridge with only one 24 hour police station.
For a borough like ours to have one 24-hour station seems irresponsible. If a call goes into the police they have to be dispatched from miles away. This isn’t fair to the victims of crime, or to the police who deserve the resources they need to do their job.
Therefore, we are calling on the council to work with the police to find a permanent police base in Wanstead High Street to serve the west of the borough.
Crime, and its causes, are often complex and need a multi-agency approach. But one of the most obvious deterrents is a dedicated community police presence for Wanstead and we hope that we can restore this facility which will be so vital in fighting crime.
Scott Wilding
Wanstead Liberal Democrats
https://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/19901436.demands-permanent-police-base-wanstead-high-street/
