A number of Residents have expressed concern at the increase in crime on the Estate following two well publicised assaults earlier this year. It is clear from the views expressed that many of you believe that we should be taking urgent action to improve security on the Estate.

In response to this demand, the CPEA arranged a meeting in May which was attended by PC Pete Waine (our local Metropolitan Police Crime Prevention Officer). Following that meeting, a number of Residents expressed an interest in participating in a Security Forum to take this initiative forward. That group then organised a meeting with PC Waine to consider the various options which might be available.

The conclusions of that meeting were as follows:

• Current legislation would not permit the installation of Closed Circuit TV ("CCTV") to monitor traffic on and visitors to the Estate. The Police and the local Council do have the power to install CCTV but the advice of PC Waine was that the problems on the Estate would not be sufficient to justify this.

• We should consider arranging for daily patrols by a private security firm as a high profile preventative measure. PC Waine's view was that these patrols would be most effective if they covered all roads on the Estate and took place at various and variable times during the day and night. Patrols at regular times each day or week should be avoided. He also advised that the existence of regular patrols should be clearly indicated on large signs which should be located throughout the Estate.

• We should consider establishing a Neighbourhood Watch scheme on the Estate in conjunction with the Police as a means of raising the awareness of Residents. PC Waine felt that such schemes, if properly organised with a network of road representatives, can be effective in crime prevention.

In the light of the advice received, we obtained a series of quotes from various security firms recommended by the Police for providing the three 30 minute patrols around the Estate at various times during the day and night, seven days a week, as recommended by PC Waine. These estimates indicated that the annual cost would be in the order of £21,000 (including VAT). This initiative is fully supported by, and carries the endorsement of, the Metropolitan Police.

It was agreed that the full cost of providing this additional security should be funded by separate contributions from the Residents of the Estate. The total annual cost of this initiative will obviously vary depending on the number of households which participate, ranging from £52.50 if 400 households participate to £210.00 if there are only 100 participants.

The Security Forum wrote to all Residents in July proposing an initial annual contribution of £70 per household, which assumed that at least 300 households would participate. This level of support would require the participation of over 70% of all households (including Lodge Close) which was not considered to be unrealistic given the modest cost involved, and the additional comfort that would be provided to all Residents of the Estate by the security patrols.

Residents were therefore asked to indicate to the Security Forum whether they would be prepared to participate by making a £70 initial contribution to this scheme, and also whether they would be prepared to be a Neighbourhood Watch Road Representative. The response to the initial questionnaire was extremely encouraging. We now need to negotiate with the various security firms who have submitted quotations to ensure that we secure the best possible deal for Residents from the funds available. Accordingly, those Residents who did not respond to the original questionnaire have therefore been asked to confirm whether or not they would be prepared to participate.

We have now received responses from nearly half of all Residents. Over 87% of those Residents who responded indicated that they would be prepared to contribute to the cost of the proposed security arrangements and 52% of those were prepared to pay in excess of the suggested £70 minimum annual payment if required.

Crime figures for the Estate provided by the Metropolitan Police confirm that over the last year there have been nearly 40 incidents including, 12 burglaries (1 involving violence), 11 thefts or robberies (including two cases of handbag snatches), 5 assaults (including 1 involving actual bodily harm) and 2 thefts of motor vehicles.

The proposed security measures cannot be expected to eliminate crime entirely, but the advice of the Police is that they would represent an effective deterrent. The proposals could therefore be expected to enhance the value of the Estate by making it a safer place for us all to live.

Please would you therefore now respond to the questionnaire if you have not previously done so. We need responses from a further 130 Residents if we are going to be able to proceed.

f the necessary level of support is, ultimately, not forthcoming, then we may have to consider a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme as a cost-effective alternative. We need will continue to keep residents informed as this initiative is taken forward.

Robert Graham

Website Designed and developed by Cartec Limited

Maintained by Hillside Computer Services