Community safety is a top concern for residents and our new campaign - ‘Together we are Creating Safer Streets’ – celebrates the positive action that is happening across Waltham Forest to keep our residents safe, while inviting everyone to play their part.
From our community partners who are providing safe and engaging activities for young people, to residents who are shaping local priorities as members of our Citizens’ Panel, every day we see shining examples of how individuals and organisations are stepping up to make our borough safer.
With initiatives such as the Safer Routes pilot helping young people get home from school safely, and our network of safe spaces where residents can go to if they feel worried or unsafe, this campaign is about empowerment, trust and collective action.
By working together we can each play our part in building safer communities. Recently, we saw an example of residents of Hurst Road, Walthamstow, working together with their local council officer James to improve an alleyway that was attracting anti-social behaviour. The council fixed lighting and cleared rubbish while local residents Alice and Inga transformed a tired old area into a community garden.
Make your pledge
We are inviting residents, community groups, businesses and partners to make a Community Safety Pledge, a simple, practical action that helps create safer streets and stronger communities.
Every pledge counts, whether it’s:
- Speaking out against hate crime
- Starting a Neighbourhood Watch group
- Creating a local “safe space” in your business
- Supporting young people to feel heard and safe
Councillor Limbajee, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, said:
“We can only create safer streets when we act together. This campaign is about turning good intentions into action, showing that everyone, from residents to local businesses, has a role to play. These acts, big and small, show the power of collective action and the strength of our community spirit.
“No single person or agency can solve issues of community safety alone. And with the support of our statutory partnership (The Met Police, London Fire Bridge, Health and Probation Services), we are sending a clear message: ‘Community Safety is Everyone’s Business’.
“I have made my pledge: ‘I pledge to keep pressure on the local police to make sure they focus on the issues that matter most to residents’. Join us and submit your pledge today – to help make Waltham Forest a safer place for everyone.”
Together we are Creating Safer Streets, follows the recent launch of Together we are Waltham Forest, highlighting the positive change that is happening every day across the Borough.