Recent local crime trends – including the red paint attacks – were discussed by Waltham Forest’s borough commander, reports Sebastian Mann, Local Democracy Reporter

Chingford Police Station has the borough’s only public police counter

Robberies and antisocial behaviour are on the rise in Waltham Forest, according to new police data.

The Metropolitan Police says it is carrying out both overt and covert operations, but some residents fear incidents are still going unreported.

Borough-wide data shows there had been 59 stop-and-searches since February, which led to 13 arrests or seizures of stolen items.

In Walthamstow High Street, there were twelve robberies recorded in March. There were just three reported in February, and none in January.

In March, antisocial behaviour hit its highest rate since October, with 15 incidents reported. That was up from nine the month before, and eleven in January.

Constable Rizwan Azad pointed to street drinking in the warmer months as a major factor at a quarterly crime panel held last night (10th April).

He said the spike in March was due to one “gang” and officers hoped to tackle the “ringleaders”.

The force will also be deploying live facial recognition cameras through April. Last time they were used, officers arrested seven people in three hours, the panel heard.

Officers also told the panel that numerous investigations had also been hindered by issues with CCTV. They said the cameras had either been facing the wrong way or, in some cases, were not working at the time of the alleged offences.

An official from Waltham Forest Council’s enforcement team said they were focused on tackling thefts in the 17&Central shopping centre.

He said shops with open fronts appeared to be at higher risk, and there were low levels of security in the centre.

Panel chairman Philip Herlihy said he felt the street harassment of women on the high street was “grossly underreported”. There were zero incidents recorded in January and February, but four in March.

Officers said they would focus on tackling it over the next quarter.

During a separate ‘safe streets’ webinar, hosted for the public on 2nd April, council leader Grace Williams said there was “no clear solution” to crime in the borough.

She said that crime reports helped the council and police “build a picture” and identify trends, hotposts and key people of interest. “Keep talking to us and keep reporting,” she added.

Chief superintendent Dan Card, the Met’s borough commander for Waltham Forest and Newham, said the force was taking a “data-focused” approach and officers often worked covertly, which partly explains the relative lack of visibility.

In response to residents asking for more visibility, he said Waltham Forest would not be seeing any new police officers over the next year – which he pinned on the Met’s £260m budget shortfall.

Chief Supt Card added there were also no plans to open another 24-hour counter service for residents to speak with officers in person. The borough’s only such service is located in Chingford.

In tackling knife crime, which is a significant problem across London, the force says that stop-and-searches are the most effective tactic.

The meeting ended with a brief update on the recent spate of houses in Leyton and Walthamstow being targeted by vandals. Numerous residences have been damaged by red paint and motor oil being thrown over them in recent months.

Chief Supt Card said there had still been no arrests but a number of lines of enquiry were being pursued. He said a dedicated team of officers were also working to establish if they were linked to incidents outside the capital.

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