Safer Neighbourhood Teams across the capital are not meeting Londonwide standards for accessibility according to a new report published today by Caroline Pidgeon AM, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group.
At present the Metropolitan Police service website proudly states that Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNTs): “will respond to every message directed to us within 24 hours.” The reality for many members of the public is very different, with research carried out in October involving 10 per cent of London’s SNTS being contacted via telephone or email revealing:
- Of the 18 SNTs which were left a voice message 6 SNTs did not call back
- Of the 32 SNTs emailed more than half did not reply to emails
- That these response times are worse than when Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) carried out a survey in 2009
- Incredibly, the phone number listed on the Met’s website for SNTs did not work in one case, and did not enable the caller to leave a message in two other cases
Following her research, Caroline Pidgeon is calling for clear assurances from the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, and the Metropolitan Police, that include:
- every SNT having a phone number that actually works; that there is consistency in responding to inquiries from the public
- SNTs being sufficiently resourced to provide timely replies
- systems being in place to aid SNTs in responding to emails and phonecalls within 24 hours
A further recommendation is greater use of new technology, with the introduction of a mobile version of the Met website, or an App, for smartphones which would make it quicker and easier for people to contact SNTs.
Commenting on the report’s findings, Caroline Pidgeon said:
“Safer communities must start with more accessible Safer Neighbourhood Teams.
“Londoners deserve a consistent level of service from SNTs across the whole of London. Accessible and well run SNTs are central to ensuring people feel safe and have the confidence to immediately report crime and anti-social behavior in their area.
“At present too many members of the public are being let down by a service that is quite frankly nowhere near as accessible as it should be. It should be really quick and easy for the public to contact their SNT and they should get a response within 24 hours. Yet in practice we have found that we didn’t get a reply from more than half of the teams we emailed.
“In an era of smartphones the Met should also make it easier for people to get in touch with their SNTs. Above all else the Mayor must make sure that SNTs have the officers and the technology to keep the promise made to Londoners of 24-hour response times to all inquiries.”