Southfield Liberal Democrat Councillor Gary Malcolm and Councillor Andrew Steed recently attended the local ward Police Panel meeting.  

They wanted to not only address the issue of crime, but also to listen to residents concerning their experiences with criminal activities. 

The Police Panel meeting serves as a platform where around five to ten residents meet with the Southfield police team.  

It is an opportunity for the community to engage in a constructive dialogue with officers.  

It aims to monitor crime levels, directing the local police team's focus towards activities that residents consider most crucial.  

The presence of residents ensures that valuable feedback can be provided to the police. 

At the meeting, a welcome was extended to PC Dom Thapa, a new addition to the Ealing police team.  

The meeting primarily revolved around recent crime data. Encouragingly, the crime figures appeared to show improvement compared to the previous report.  

Cllr Gary Malcolm said: "Generally, the crime figures looked better than last time and having three members of the ward police team should help reducing crime and gathering intelligence about possible crimes." 

However, the meeting also shed light on an issue that had not been captured in the crime data—the occurrence of at least two robberies in Southfield Park.  

This omission highlights the importance of community involvement in monitoring and reporting criminal activities. 

A special guest attended the meeting, Sally Chacatte, the Founder of W4 Youth.  

W4 Youth is an organization that offers sports and various activities to keep teenagers engaged throughout the year in different locations in Chiswick, including Southfield Rec and local church halls.  

Chacatte shared her observations and insights into crimes occurring in Southfield Rec, contributing to a broader understanding of the community's safety concerns. 

The central point of discussion during the meeting was the identification of Ward Promises. These promises represent the priorities that the local police team will focus on in the next three months. Two key areas emerged as the primary targets for law enforcement efforts: 

• Southfield Rec Grounds, Wilkinson Way, Vale Gardens: To patrol and investigate anti-social behaviour and drug-related offenses. 
• Woodstock Road and Hatfield Road: To address drug-related issues and tackle anti-social behavior. 

Local police will vary their patrolling approach within areas, for example they might sometimes be in uniform and at other times in civilian clothing.  

Cllr Gary Malcolm says: "This strategy is employed to detect criminal behaviour and deter potential wrongdoers." 

The Lib Dems have a crime survey to gather feedback from Ealing residents on their perceptions of the police, the state of their neighbourhoods, and the areas where they believe needs more attention from both the police and the council. 

The survey can be found here.  

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