The weather is slowly improving, and we are all looking forward to the arrival of spring. This change in season has led me to reflect on the work we have been doing with our local police team and the importance of ensuring adequate budget support for community safety.
Neighbourhood watch and ward panel
In 2019, I was approached by David Hardman to take the lead of the Neighbourhood Watch within my residential area. Since then, it has been an interesting and rewarding journey to learn about the importance of the Neighbourhood Watch scheme and to see how it has grown and evolved over the years.
When I first began engaging residents and organising Neighbourhood Watch meetings, it was quite challenging. At the time, our police team was operating with very limited resources. The situation became even more difficult during the pandemic. However, despite these challenges, we received strong and consistent support from our dedicated police officers, for which we remain very grateful.
The current stats in our area shows that we have decreased in the following crimes: burglary, drugs offences, robbery and theft of motor vehicle.
More recently, from last year onwards, we have been fortunate to have a proactive Ward Panel chair and deputy chair who have helped to organise and lead the panels effectively, working closely with our hardworking police team. Their leadership has strengthened collaboration between residents and the police, helping us build a safer and more connected community.
PC Adam Billins from Met Police Service says: “Your local police are dedicated to making the community safer. We know, due to the recent incident in Feltham there has been a lot of tension and concern. We want to assure you that your safety is our number one priority. Please feel free to contact us for any questions or queries, we are always happy to have a chat or join us for a coffee when we do “Coffee with a Copper”. Sign up to Met Engage as this shows what your local officers have done and any news.”
Kevin Brady, Chair of Hanworth Ward Panel shares his view: “Our goal is to bring as many residents as possible into the conversation. Every voice matters—and the more voices we have, the stronger the message we send to the police and local councillors who attend our meetings. Residents are urged to share their concerns and observations to help ensure police attention is focused where it is most needed. One message remains central to our efforts: Report, Report, Report.”
Sri Vira, Deputy Chair of Hanworth Ward Panel, adds: “Strengthening Community Safety in Hanworth is very important. Our priority remains to create an open, supportive forum where residents can raise matters that affect their daily lives and help shape local policing priorities. The Residents Neighbourhood Watch is also continuing to grow, with more residents joining our network to support awareness, prevention, and community cohesion.”
Budget amendment matters
This year’s Labour budget raises similar questions about priorities.
The administration has proposed cutting capacity in the domestic violence team and relying on over £5 million in additional traffic fine income to balance the books. At the same time, nearly £1 million is spent on communications staffing and there are proposals for increased councillor allowances.
As a Conservative Group, we have tabled a fully costed alternative budget.
Our amendment identifies between £1.4 million and £1.9 million in recurring savings by:
- Reforming Special Responsibility Allowances, including removing cabinet assistant roles
- Reducing the size of the corporate communications function to focus on essential, statutory communications
- Tackling duplication in the Community Solutions and Resident Experience structures
- Accelerating reform of the Lampton Leisure subsidy
- Introducing an additional £1 million corporate efficiency target.
But the key question is not simply where savings come from. It is where the money goes.
Our amendment reinvests in areas that matter to communities:
- Up to £400,000 to strengthen domestic violence services
- Up to £700,000 to expand homelessness prevention and proactive housing intervention
- Up to £500,000 for a prevention-led fly-tipping strategy, including AI-supported CCTV to target organised dumping.