Agenda item

Joe Benmore, IOM Strategic Lead introduced a presentation on the ward level data for Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) review. The presentation highlighted that between February 2023 and January 2024, Haringey recorded a total of 10,220 ASB incidents, ranking the borough 12^th in London for ASB volume. The rate of ASB per 1,000 population in Haringey was 34.6, surpassing the London average by 18%. Notably, Bruce Castle ward stood out with the highest volume (1,083 incidents) and rate (74.9 per 1,000 population) of ASB among all Haringey wards. Common types of ASB identified included Rowdy/Inconsiderate Behaviour, Rowdy/Nuisance Neighbours, ASB Nuisance, Noise, and Vehicle Nuisance. Additionally, it was observed that ASB tended to peak during the summer months compared to winter in Haringey. Lower levels were recorded during winter months, especially January/February.

The police utilised the Council's CCTV control room for key operations, focusing on drugs and serious crime. CCTV operators collaborated closely with the police, waste enforcement, and the ASB enforcement team. There were improvements in CCTV partnership working across and beyond the ERE, resulting in an increased number of fines for fly-tipping incidents and overall enforcement actions. Additionally, two fly-tipping vehicles were seized based on Council CCTV evidence. A hate crime incident was also captured on Council CCTV, leading to the identification and arrest of the suspect.

The following points were noted in the discussion:

• Councillor Ali proposed the idea of providing ward councillors with information about hotspot areas. This would help address community perceptions and ensure transparency. Additionally, it would enable the dissemination of any mitigating actions taken by the police to keep residents informed.
• Councillor Ali recommended incorporating year-by-year comparisons in future presentations to provide a comprehensive overview of trends. Additionally, there was a suggestion for including more detailed information about the types and locations of anti-social behaviour (ASB). This entails distilling ASB occurrences and identifying specific areas affected. For instance, there may be cultural acceptance of low-level drug offenses in certain areas, highlighting the need to address perceptions and promote change.
• The Chair inquired about the demographic of the perpetrators of anti-social behaviour (ASB) and stressed the importance of including this information in the report, emphasising its crucial role in determining response priorities. Understanding the demographics could inform how services are allocated and tailored. Joe informed the panel that currently, this information is not available as it is extracted from police data. However, he noted that efforts could be made to request additional data from the police to address this gap.
• Councillor Dunstall raised concerns about residents submitting complaints through the council portal and not receiving any feedback. He suggested implementing clear response timeframes, such as assessing complaints within 24 hours and resolving them within 5 days. Additionally, Councillor Dunstall inquired about data on the council's performance against these commitments. In response, Councillor Jogee proposed reviewing the statistics and providing an update on improving the response process for the next meeting.

ACTIONS:

• To look into requesting additional data around demographic of ASB perpetrators from the police.
• To review existing statistics around complaint handling from residents and to present at the next meeting, along with proposals for improving the response process and providing an update on progress.

RESOLVED:

·         The content of the presentation was noted for information.