A working group was formed in September 2020 to investigate the significant increase in anti-social behaviour issues (“ASB”) during the summer
The group has been named the Richmond Green Working Group (“RGWG”) and comprises members representing, the Safer Neighbourhood Board, Friends of Richmond Green and other residents, the Police, Council officers, councillors, Neighbourhood Watch, Mums against Mugging and local business.
A Council 12 point action plan has been developed, split into short, medium and long term actions. Several of these are already underway, including building a better evidential picture, surveying residents for feedback, establishing a position re private security (see further below), looking at the use of CCTV, hardening the policy of issuing Fixed Penalty Notices, influencing the planned lighting changes in the borough, considering drink driving checkpoints on the Green and so forth. Progress on the plan will appear through the Richmond Green and Riverside Newsletter that has been established.
The Press Release from the Council (see link below) clarifies that the private security firms that have been soliciting residents do not have the support of either the Council or the Police. However as residents and the general public remain uncomfortable with the level of visible uniformed presence (from the Police and Park Guards), an underlying issue remains and that leaves a gap in the level of provision. Our approach has been to work with the Council and Police to see if there are ways that the level of the uniformed presence can be increased: https://richmond.gov.uk/council/news/press_office/older_news/october_2020/residents_warned_about_private_security_companies.
If you need to report a crime, please contact the Met Police on 101 or 999 depending on the seriousness of the crime; or report the crime online https://www.met.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/