Havering Council says it is working on getting to grips with violent crime

Cllr Viddy Persaud

Havering Council says it is working to tackle violence in the borough following a rise in crime.

Romford Labour chair Angelina Leatherbarrow recently wrote an open letter to Havering Council’s cabinet member for public protection and safety, Viddy Persaud, asking if a violent crime summit was going to be held in the borough.

Her question came after a similar summit was held in Barking and Dagenham, bringing together police and other organisations to look at the causes of violence.

But Cllr Persaud said that was one of a series being held across the three boroughs – Havering, Redbridge, and Barking and Dagenham – covered by the local branch of the Met Police; the East Area Command Unit.

Cllr Persaud told Time 107.5: “The London borough of Barking and Dagenham has had the first summit which I have attended, the second one is going to be held in Redbridge and the third in Havering.”

She added that Havering Council is taking measures to tackle crime involving young people, including going into schools and carrying out intervention work to deter kids from joining gangs.

Cllr Persaud added that the council is working with Spark2Life, an organisation which provides mentoring support to young people involved in gang crime.

It has worked with more than 40 young people in the borough and Cllr Persaud says it has manged to keep 80 per cent from re-offending.

There are also proposals to spend £250,000 on CCTV in the borough; part of the council’s proposed budget for the next year.

Eight people were arrested as a result of a recent facial recognition camera trial by police in Romford.

Despite the council saying the trial was a success, campaigners are concerned the technology infringes on privacy.

Cllr Persaud said: “I fully understand where they are coming from, but equally violent crime really should be tackled and the fact that eight people got arrested, for me that means it worked.”

Meanwhile, a second facial recognition trial in Romford is being held tomorrow in South Street.

Detective Chief Superintendent Ivan Balhatchet said: “Following the final deployment this week, a full independent evaluation of the deployments and the technology itself will commence.

“Tackling violent crime is a key priority for the Met and we are determined to use all emerging technology available to support standard policing activity and help protect our communities.

“The technology being tested in this trial is developing all the time and has the potential to be invaluable to day-to-day policing.

“We continue to engage with many different stakeholders, some who actively challenge our use of this technology. In order to show transparency and continue constructive debate, we have invited individuals and groups with varying views on our use of facial recognition technology to this deployment.”