Westminster Conservative Councillors, along with former Conservative MP for Westminster, Nickie Aiken, have lobbied hard for the Labour-run council to take robust steps to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour on our streets. Finally, Labour is acting with their recent press announcement.
When the Labour administration came to power in 2022, it inexplicably disbanded the ISEU team (integrated street engagement unit) which had been established by the previous Conservative-run council. This resulted not only in an increase in anti-social behaviour but in many of the experienced professionals in the team leaving or being redeployed to other areas.
The ISEU had been very effective in safeguarding our neighbourhood communities and the most vulnerable who need support while using civil powers and sanctions to deal with persistent street-based ASB.
In the last two years, aggressive begging and organised drug dealing have got worse on Westminster’s local high streets, including the area just outside the Council’s offices in Victoria.
Cllr Paul Swaddle, Conservative Group Leader at Westminster City Council, explained
“We know from our discussions on the doorstep and the thousands of responses to our surveys that crime and ASB continues to be the number one concern of Westminster residents and businesses.
"While this U-turn by Labour to reintroduce a front-line team to tackle ASB is to be broadly welcomed, it will take time and money to set up from scratch, rather than building on what was already working well with the ISEU."
