Waltham Forest Safer Neighbourhoods Board

In 2012, the Mayor of London committed to establish Safer Neighbourhood Boards (SNBs) in every borough. The aim was to give Londoners and victims a greater voice around crime prevention and reduction. SNBs are not statutory bodies and have no statutory powers or delegated authority.

The board’s goals are to:

• monitor police performance using data supplied by MOPAC so as to hold the Police to account as a ‘critical friend’
• develop engagement between the police and the wider Waltham Forest community

If you'd like to come to a meeting or want to find out more, call: Democratic Services on 020 8496 4328 or email: democraticservices@walthamforest.gov.uk. Please give us at least 24 hours' notice before the meeting is due to start.

One of the responsibilities the Mayor's given to SNBs is to recommend projects to the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) for funding. A £1m fund is available to London SNBs for crime reduction, crime prevention, and community engagement activities.

The Safer Neighbourhood Board is now seeking funding applications from third-sector groups wishing to work on crime and community safety issues in the borough.

MOPAC has allocated Waltham Forest approximately £19,055 for this financial year. The maximum budget for each project will be £5,000.

All applications must specifically demonstrate how they contribute to one or more of the following: crime prevention/ education or community engagement.

The project must seek to tackle one or more of the following priority areas:

• Putting victims first and reducing inequalities
• Keeping children and young people safe
• Tackling violence against women and girls
• Tackling hate crime and intolerance

How to apply

An application form (Word)

The process is designed to be as simple as possible to encourage people to apply. Applications are now closed.

We've produced a Frequently Asked Questions document (PDF) to help with your application.

Alongside the SNB, local residents can also help to set local policing priorities and reduce and prevent crime by joining their ward’s Safer Neighbourhood Panel. These meet roughly every two months. Find out more on the Met Police website.

The board has tasked a group of police officers and members to examine the use of Stop and Search in Waltham Forest in three key respects:

Fairness

Is the power being exercised fairly across the community or are some groups being disproportionately stopped?

Effectiveness

What is the return to the community, in terms of the conviction of wrongdoers relative to the costs, regarding both police effort and community reaction?

Respect

Are people being stopped, the overwhelming majority of whom are not arrested, being treated in a decent manner?

Waltham Forest Stop and Search Scrutiny Group are looking for new members.

The group was set up following recommendations from the 1999 Macpherson Report. Stop and search scrutiny groups are an important part of the network of police and community engagement. Today, we're again hearing strong calls for changes in policing. This engagement is vital to help the police understand and act on concerns coming from the community.

As part of our work, we review statistics, view stop and searches and listen to concerns and feedback coming from the local community. We use this understanding to constructively challenge our local police. We also provide them with feedback from the community they might otherwise not have access to.

We're inviting applications from anyone with an interest in the fair and proportionate policing of our streets. We are however particularly interested in applications from young people and groups representing those more likely to be stopped.

No specific skills or experience is required and there are no restrictions on who can join the group. We operate in a supportive and constructive manner and would welcome and support you to be an effective member of the group.

If you feel that you could support this work and have the capacity to offer some of your time then please do get in touch.

To request an application form, email: democraticservices@walthamforest.gov.uk

If you'd like to talk to someone about this volunteering role, email the group with your contact number so we can get in touch.

• Aimee Farquhar and Sandra DaCosta Chairs WF Stop and Search Group
• stopandsearchwf@gmail.com

Attendees must agree to:

• listen respectfully to all participants without interrupting
• follow any directions from the meeting Chair