Meet two women in Muswell Hill who contacted me about an idea they have for helping mothers cross the barriers back into work. Brilliant idea – as ever – I am enthused and will try and find funding streams for them to tap into. Funding is always the key (and the full stop to brilliant ideas).
In the afternoon, meet the key senior officers involved in the Muswell Hill (and a bit of Fortis Green) Safer Neighbourhood Team which is about to roll out. Hurray!
This is what residents want. Dedicated neighbourhood teams on the beat. But we need them everywhere – otherwise you get displacement of crime.
And what about poor old Highgate – split between three boroughs? I am working on bringing that together – and have made some progress following my lobbying of the Chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA). A methodology and trial is afoot in Bexley – and then once the wrinkles are ironed out there the model can be used for Highgate and any other areas of London where there is a neighbourhood split across different boundaries.