Redbridge launches taskforce to tackle antisocial behaviour

The Redbridge Community Protection Taskforce was officially launched on Friday (June 16) outside Ken Aston Square, Barkingside.

The Recorder joined the team on their first patrol – here’s how it works.

It has been primarily set up to tackle unlawful street activity such as aggressive begging, street drinking and prostitution, and antisocial activity around licensed premises.

The taskforce’s main aim is to patrol areas in Redbridge in the evenings and late at night (Image: Tara Mewawalla)

Deputy leader Kam Rai addressed the taskforce, saying that its goal was to “nip in the bud” behaviours that had the potential to develop into more serious crimes.

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He said: “We know that relatively we are a lower crime borough but we want to bring that further down…

“The important thing is presence – we don’t want to fine people.

“It’s to make sure people are reassured and that when issues do arise, we get to them early, before they do escalate into something more serious.

“[We don’t want] people… to feel like an area is a place where they can do one thing that becomes worse over time – so the purpose is to get there early.”

The taskforce has been set up and is funded by Redbridge Council but is working in partnership and will share intelligence with the Met Police and British Transport Police.

As part of Friday’s patrol, officers spoke to travellers using Gants Hill underground station (Image: Tara Mewawalla)

It is made up of 14 full-time officers who work on shifts to patrol hotspots that council intelligence has flagged.

They will operate a seven-day service working evenings and late nights.

After the key addresses at Ken Aston Square, the taskforce made its way to Gants Hill which, alongside Ilford town centre, Barkingside and Hainault, was highlighted as a key area of patrol.

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Officers spent the time mainly interacting with residents, punters and business owners, making them aware of the taskforce’s role and the council’s reporting system on its website.

Cllr Khayer Chowdhury, cabinet member for enforcement and community safety, said the taskforce has the power to issue on-the-spot fines, as well as antisocial behaviour tickets including community protection warnings and community protection notices.

Where needed, they are also able to ban people from specific areas with the permission of the magistrate. They have powers of detention, although the taskforce itself does not have powers of arrest.

Although taskforce officers do not have powers of arrest like the police, they do have powers of detention and to issue fines (Image: Tara Mewawalla)

Cllr Chowdhury also said the taskforce would be flexible in its shift timings: “[The current finish time is 2am but] our finish times will vary on what the intelligence is saying.

“We are a flexible team – so, let’s say during the winter, we see on a specific night there’s something taking place at 3am, we are flexible enough to adapt the team to make sure that 3am demand is being met…

“This is why it’s so important that residents report issues via the website.”

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One of the taskforce’s officers added that part of their role includes attending residents’ houses to discuss the issues they deem most pressing and tackling noise complaints the council receives.

He said one of the main issues the council is facing is a lack of people complaining through the council’s official reporting function on the website.

Leader of the council Jas Athwal added: “So many of us choose to call Redbridge home because of our outstanding schools, bustling high streets and excellent transport links.

“Our borough is a great place to raise a family, and we want to keep it that way.”