
Policing in Brent will change during the Spring of 2013. More of our Officers will be put back in to the community, creating Neighbourhood Policing Teams that will focus on crime and disorder in our wards. These teams will be an enhanced version of existing Safer Neighbourhood Teams.
We will adopt the Metropolitan Police Service’s new corporate structure - the Local Policing Model. Most of the changes will be to ‘back-room’ functions and management posts. Some of our more specialist investigation teams will be asked to widen their remit and take responsibility for a broader range of crimes. There will be no change to the response we provide when the public dial 999 in an emergency. These changes are necessary to help us improve the service we offer to our community while meeting the challenging financial constraints of our budget.
Neighbourhood Policing Teams:
Ward-based, Neighbourhood policing is at the heart of the Local Policing Model. We aim to build on the successes of our Safer Neighbourhood Teams. Every ward in Brent will have a dedicated Sergeant; two PC’s and will be supported by PCSOs. Wards will be grouped together to form Clusters. An example is shown in the diagram below. Additional Police Officers will be attached to each ward, making larger teams. We will ‘flex’ these additional officers around their cluster in response to the most pressing crime and disorder needs. An Inspector will lead each Cluster and will co-ordinate action across ward boundaries.
What this means for Brent
Current Safer Neighbourhood Teams will benefit from an increase in officers to create flexible and dedicated Neighbourhood Policing Teams (NPT).
NPTs will maintain and improve current ward panels - Ward panels and panel meetings will be managed as per existing practices.
Increased shift coverage for officers across each of the clusters will provide improved engagement opportunities during evenings and weekends 365 days a year.
NPT officers will investigate their neighbourhood’s crime to give victims a reliable and consistent service.
Every victim of crime will be offered a visit from an NPT officer.
Partnership working remains a vital part of local policing and boroughs and NPTs will continue to work closely with local authorities and partners, building strong networks and community panels to identify local problems and priorities and working together to find solutions.
In a non-emergency situation the public will be provided with options of how to engage with their local NPT or named ward officer.
An early proposal of how Brent will be split into four neighbourhood clusters illustrated on the map above.