The Mayor, Cllr, Police and THEOs stand in Altab Ali Park in front of community safety vehicles
- Tower Hamlets is investing £8m into community safety, which is more than any other London borough so far as we are aware
- Council to nearly triple the amount of enforcement officers to 64
- Enforcement team work alongside 26 council funded police officers
- Officers will work collaboratively as part of new Anti Crime Task Force
Today, Tower Hamlets launches its Anti Crime Task Force, a new collaborative community safety model where Tower Hamlets Enforcement Officers (THEOs) work with police to keep communities safe from crime and disorder.
Tower Hamlets has already invested over £4 million in enforcement resources since 2022, with another £4 million to be invested by 2026.
The THEOs, currently celebrating 15 years of supporting residents in the borough, have nearly tripled since 2022, with 54 officers now in place and with a further 10 being recruited, bringing the total to 64.
The THEOs, who form part of a new £4m Anti Crime Task Force, work closely with council funded police officers. They patrol the streets, tackling crime, antisocial behaviour (ASB), and providing community reassurance.
The impact of THEOs has included:
- 415 arrests by council funded police officers since April 2022.
- 29,500 hours of patrols in 2024.
- An increase in uniformed patrols by THEOs – 73 per cent higher in December 2024 than the same period in 2023.
- A 96 percent increase in Fixed Penalty Notices issued for ASB related behaviour, with 2,357 fines issued in 2024.
The new Anti Crime Task Force has been set up to provide a greater visible enforcement presence around Tower Hamlets, tackle crime, ASB, and provide increased reassurance to the public.
It also includes:
- A new dog patrol service, who join the THEOs to conduct regular weapons and drugs sweeps in parks, open spaces, and estates. Additionally, they carry out vehicle checks and disrupt drug related activity.
- £895,000 to upgrade the council’s CCTV control room, with state-of-the-art LED video wall display unit capable of monitoring 42 cameras simultaneously. All 350 street-based cameras have been upgraded from analogue to digital.
- Since 2022, Council CCTV operators have assisted with 581 arrests and helped to locate 41 missing people.
Lutfur Rahman, Executive Mayor of Tower Hamlets, said: “At a time when many councils have cut their budgets for tackling crime by millions, we are investing £8 million, more than any other local authority in London, leading the way in showing how councils can invest to make our communities safer.
“We’re launching our new Anti Crime Task Force to work closely with police partners to ensure that there is a visible on street presence across the borough, acting as a deterrent to those engaging in crime and antisocial behaviour. Ensuring Tower Hamlets is a safer place for everyone is a top priority for me and my Cabinet, and we are providing the resources to bring about that change.”
Community engagement remains a priority within the community safety service, including regular women’s safety walkabouts across all wards, and an engagement bus raising awareness of high-volume crimes like bike and phone thefts.
The teams mobile van is deployed around the borough weekly, providing opportunities for residents to speak to their local Safer Neighbourhood Operations team, report any issues and seek advice.
Alongside the Anti Crime Task Force, three council services have been streamlined to focus on crime and the reduction of ASB:
- Environmental crime enforcement team
- Council funded police officers
These services include 16 dedicated ASB investigating officers addressing resident concerns. Furthermore, the council will deliver an out of hours statutory noise service, which will be in operation from Summer 2025.
Cllr Abu Talha Chowdhury, Cabinet Member for Safer Communities, said:
“We’re proud of the work of our community safety team, and today it is an honour to announce the investment and extension of this vital service.
“I see first hand how crime and antisocial behaviour can blight the lives of our residents. We will continue to work hard to hold perpetrators to account, ensuring that nobody feels unsafe on our streets.”
James Conway, Detective Chief Superintendent, BCU Commander - Central East (Tower Hamlets & Hackney) said:
“I welcome the further support provided by the council to focus on crime and anti-social behaviour. This includes the important funding which provides additional police officers within our neighbourhood policing team in Tower Hamlets. This team focuses specifically on the crime challenges which directly impact on our communities.
“The Met has been clear that our focus is on community crime fighting and putting our communities first. Policing provides a critical service, but effectively tackling the problems which matter most to our communities is only achieved by working in a close collaboration with our partners. We and the council have our own unique sets of powers and responsibilities. It is by bringing these together, alongside our other partners and communities, that we will achieve sustained impact against crime and anti-social behaviour.
“We have seen the notable impact of this joint working over the past year, with Tower Hamlets now experiencing less violence, less robbery, less burglary and more prosecutions in key areas such as domestic violence. At the same time I know that too many people still feel unsafe and, for me, every crime is a crime too many. By investing in a partnership that works I know we can go further, delivering a safer borough for all those who live, work and visit Tower Hamlets.”
Tower Hamlets is one of the busiest places in the UK.
It has one of the highest number of visitors in the country with destinations such as Spitalfields, Tower of London, Brick Lane, Victoria Park and Canary Wharf.
It also provides the third largest economic output in the country with 300,000 people employed in the borough.
Posted on Thursday 13th February 2025