This week, Lambeth Labour welcomed the announcement that the Metropolitan Police pledged extra officers on the beat in Brixton Town Centre to tackle antisocial behaviour, phone robbery and shoplifting.

The police should be visible in every community, deterring and preventing crime as well as responding to emergencies. But after 14 years of Tory and Liberal Democrat austerity, neighbourhood policing has been eroded away, alongside faith and confidence in the criminal justice system.

We know from speaking to residents just how much of a priority tackling crime is, and Lambeth Labour has worked hard to make the case for extra resources, highlighting the importance of real neighbourhood policing in our borough, rooted in community trust.  

We’re also doing our bit locally. Lambeth was one of the first areas in the UK to adopt a Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, and we are proud to deliver life-changing services. We fund the greatest number of refuge beds of any London borough and twice the London average, and we continue to invest in specialist support services as part of our commitment to supporting women and girls facing violence and domestic abuse. 

Alongside this, public protection officers are out every day to deter crime and protect residents, CCTV runs to monitor and gather evidence, and we have a street engagement team to support vulnerable people.

But the police lead on tackling crime, and that is best done in partnership with the community, at street level, so officers can build relationships, confidence and trust with all our communities in Lambeth.

Our ambition is to make Lambeth one of the safest boroughs in London, where everyone feels safe and secure in all places. This is one of the core ambitions in our Lambeth 2030 borough plan – Our Future, Our Lambeth.

We’ll continue working with residents, businesses and our partners to make that ambition a reality.