Crime was second only to the contentious issue of parking as a major concern for local traders at the North Finchley Business Forum held at Trinity Church on 1 December. This was the second NFBF meeting and was again chaired by Gary Ince of North London Business.
The meeting was attended by two local Crime Prevention Officers plus a member of the anti-social behaviour team from Barnet Council.
Traders were especially concerned about the lack of police presence on the High Road combined with a perceived lack of response to 999 calls when they try to report incidents.
Interestingly, CPO Jenny Denscher told the meeting that due to cuts in the Metropolitan Police Service there are now just 20 police officers covering the whole of Barnet (the second largest borough in the MPS) during any typical 8-hour shift. The Borough Commander of the MPS may be invited to attend the next NLBF to discuss resources.
Safer Neighbourhood Teams ( a mixture of police and community support officers) patrol the residential streets in each ward and hold regular street briefings. More information about Barnet’s Safer Neighbourhood Teams can be found here.
The CPO teams try to visit all local shops and businesses to discuss concerns, and work with the business community to reduce crime. In addition, the CPO hold ShopWatch forums every three months – these are opportunities for local traders to discuss issues with the team. There is also a successful PubWatch scheme whereby pub landlords share telephone numbers and can give each other early warning of criminal activity.
The CPO team agreed that there was a need to improve communication between local businesses and the police. They will hold a ShopWatch meeting early in the new year and will circulate details to all traders.
The CPOs also recommended using the new 101 telephone number to report issues that are not emergencies. More info on this service can be found here.
Other useful numbers:
Barnet Council Anti-Social Behaviour Unit: 0208 359 2000
Safer Neighbourhood Teams:
- Finchley Church End 020 87335598
- West Finchley 020 8721 2982
- Woodhouse 020 8721 2983
If you’re interested in finding out about the level of crime in Barnet, click here to see the Metropolitan Police Crime map for the borough. Incidentally, crime in Barnet is considered ‘average’.
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