On July 29th, Newhall Residents had the opportunity to engage with Police Inspector Leanne Archer, responsible for Community Policing in Harlow, and representatives from Harlow Neighbourhood Watch. The meeting, with approximately 15 Newhall residents, fostered a constructive discussion on local crime levels and various crime prevention strategies. This collaborative event proved to be an insightful experience for all involved.

What is Community Policing?

Essex Police say, “Community policing is about keeping our communities safe. It’s about knowing your community and understanding the things that matter to you. We want our communities to have the confidence that we will keep you safe.

Community Policing Teams have police officers, police community support officers, and special constables. They work to prevent crime, deter criminals and make sure those intent on causing our communities harm are stopped.

Your Community Policing Team will work with local organisations, authorities, and community leaders. They will listen to community concerns and find solutions to resolve problems”.

When Should You Report and Reporting Information

The key takeaway points being that whilst residents can report items to Newhall or SHW and we can try and encourage improvement with available resources, our reach is very limited and powers of actual Policing and enforcement are non-existent; instead residents must:

  • You can also report Anti-Social Behaviour or other general concerns to the Community Policing Team:
    • The Essex Police in Harlow District: Can be contacted at 07734 983270 between 10am and 5pm. For non-emergency inquiries: Call 101.
    • For emergencies: Call 999.
    • If you have a hearing or speech impairment: You can use the textphone service at 18001 101. You can also report non-urgent crime on the Essex Police website (see Crime Online and ASB Online above).
    • You can also discuss incidents informally with the Newhall Beat Officer, Gemma Sandy PC 42073211: Gemma.Sandy@essex.police.uk

Snapshot of Information Shared at the Meeting

We had a wide and varied discussion with the Inspector and contents of the discussions included:

  • Reported crime stats are low.
  • Newhall crime stats, showed an approximately 25% decline in crime in Newhall on the previous year.
  • Newhall is one of the safest places to live in Harlow.
  • Reporting is key, otherwise Police will direct resources where there is more need.
  • People would like clarity on the definition of ASB:
    • According to the Essex Police website, anti-social behaviour (ASB) is defined as follows:
      “Anti-social behaviour is any action or behaviour that causes alarm, nuisance, harassment or distress to a person, and can disrupt the peaceful and quiet enjoyment of their home and neighbourhood.” Essex Police also note that anti-social behaviour can have a severe impact on individuals, families, and communities. They classify it as a broad category that includes various types of behaviour, such as vandalism, street drinking, and nuisance neighbours, among others. The police work closely with local authorities and other agencies to address and reduce instances of anti-social behaviour within the community.
  • One resident wanted clarity on taking pictures of children engaged in ASB or criminal behaviour. You can if they’re engaged in harassing you, ASB and/or criminal behaviour.
    • Privacy: Taking photographs of children, especially without parental consent, can be seen as an invasion of privacy.
    • Intent: If the intention behind taking the photographs is to report the anti-social behaviour to the authorities or document evidence, it may be seen as more acceptable than if the photos are taken for personal use or malicious purposes.
    • Legal considerations: It’s essential to ensure that taking photographs doesn’t violate any other laws, such as data protection or harassment laws.
      While there isn’t a specific law in the UK that explicitly prohibits taking pictures of children involved in anti-social behaviour, it’s important to consider a few factors:
  • Essex Police encourages residents to report anti-social behaviour through their website or by contacting the local authorities, but they don’t explicitly recommend taking photographs as a means of reporting incidents.
  • Neighbourhood Watch representatives were also in attendance, they explained their role and the scheme and gave out information.
  • Newhall doesn’t have a Neighbourhood Watch scheme, but residents can and some did sign up to the Harlow wide scheme. Residents can sign up to this here:
  • Essex Police are working with local traders such as the Coop to reduce shoplifting.
  • They are also working with local schools to get children to understand the impact of ASB.
  • The Police use drones – Newhall and SHW do not!
  • It was good to share information about the work that Newhall and Police have done to deal with perceived ASB from children, including the biking issues on Forge Lane.

Police Inspector Leanne Archer, thought the meeting was a success and hopes the residents who atrtended feel more reassured. She cannot stress the importance of self-sustained Community resilience and believes Newhall has a good grounding to build on.

Harlow Neighbourhood Watch

Neighbourhood Watch is the largest volunteer-led crime prevention charity in England and Wales. With over 60,000 active volunteers and over 2 million supporter households, we work across local communities and regions to empower and educate people, as well as to bring communities together.

Members from the Harlow Scheme spoke about how Neighbourhood Watch works and encouraged people to sign up for Harlow Neighbourhood Watch. You can join Harlow Neighbourhood Watch here: https://bit.ly/JoinHarlowNeighbourhoodWatch.

Useful Information

  • First published: 9th August, 2024
  • Revised: 12th August, 2024