Residents quiz crime panel

Residents had a chance to find out about how the police and Tower Hamlets Council are working to tackle crime in the borough at a public Q&A session on 8th November.
Organised by Tower Hamlets Police and Community Safety Board, key topics discussed included drug dealing, anti-social behaviour and youth violence.
Panel members included the deputy mayor, Cllr Ohid Ahmed, Police Borough Commander, Dave Stringer and Bruce Epsly London Fire Brigade Borough Commander for Tower Hamlets.
The panel highlighted the council funded Dealer a Day initiative which aims to arrest 365 drug dealers by the end of the year had already exceeded its target. The police are able to work more effectively due to intelligence gathered by partner agencies including housing organisations and voluntary groups.
With a greater police presence on the streets it is also acting as a deterrent to offenders.
Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman said: “Tackling drug dealing and misuse is a key concern for residents and a top priority for me.
The “Dealer a Day” target is an important measure of our work to reducing drug dealing and our efforts are paying off.”
The deputy mayor highlighted drug related crime had also gone down in the borough.
Cllr Ohid Ahmed, added: “The scheme has been a real success to push the dealers out of the borough and reinforces our zero tolerance to drugs misuse.”
With regards to anti-social behaviour the fire service reported a 35 per cent reduction in fires over the fireworks period.
The panel also spoke about how Tower Hamlets Enforcement Officers (THEOs) are having a positive impact on reducing anti-social behaviour.
The introduction of the Responsible Drinking Borough a year ago has enabled the THEOs to make more than 2,000 alcohol seizures in a year, leading to a reduction in street drinking being reported to the police.  
The council is keen maintain a strong enforcement presence in ASB hotspots such as Brick Lane and Whitechapel.
In relation to serious youth violence the panel spoke about only a small minority being involved in this type of crime. There are several council schemes running in the borough to engage with young people and the police deliver talks at youth centres as part of early intervention.