Hounslow Council has laid out its strategy for tackling crime and boosting community safety over the next three years.

The 'Safer Communities Strategy' outlines how the council, the Hounslow Community Safety Partnership Board and other strategic partnerships will address crime and community safety concerns.

Hounslow borough has less crime than the average London borough - coming in at 18 out of the 32 London boroughs.

But the council acknowledges there is still more work to be done with a total of 26,670 recorded offences between April 2019 and March 2020.

The strategy aims to work with our communities to keep Hounslow a low crime borough and a safe place to live, work, study and visit.

Residents and professionals were involved in shaping the strategy which aims to help residents before they reach a point of crisis where crime is concerned.

Borough wide-data and information about the negative impacts of Covid-19 were also fed into the strategy.

It will ensure that young people and adults receive appropriate support to stop them being exposed to and being exploited to commit crimes.

A preventative approach focused on tackling crime issues, which is often referred to as the Public Health Model, has also been outlined in the strategy.

The strategy focuses on early intervention and helping residents before they reach crisis point and before they need statutory interventions.

Additional resource are being allocated to delivering the strategy by creating a location-based team of four Safer Communities Officers managed by a Safer Communities Manager, dedicated to putting into operation the preventative approach.

The Safer Communities Officers' main role will be to work with residents in locations across the borough, to identify crime issues, supported by intelligence and data.

This information will be used in partnership with residents, to co-design and co-deliver crime reduction initiatives.

The Hounslow Community Safety Partnership made up of the Council, Metropolitan Police West Area Basic Command Unit, NHS Clinical Commissioning Group, Fire Service and Probation Services will work together on this new preventative approach to reduce crime and keep Hounslow safe.

Cllr Katherine Dunne, Cabinet Member for Communities and Climate Emergency, said: "We know Hounslow is a low crime borough but we know we can do more and recognise the adverse impact crime can have on our residents and our communities which is why we have launched this new strategy.

"In keeping with our new Community Solutions approach and the overall ethos and ambition of One Hounslow we want to focus on early intervention and prevention to support people before the get to the point of crisis, saving lives and creating a safer borough.

"I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all our internal and external partners who are instrumental in working with us on developing and delivering the strategy."

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