Agenda item

To receive a report of the Commissioner of Police.

The Committee received a report of the Commander of Operations that updated Members  on recent community engagement activities, community priorities and forthcoming events.

The Commander of Operations advised that a squat had been closed down in Tower Hamlets which had led to a slight increase in rough sleepers in the City. There had been an incident on the 30^th of October that had led to the arrest of thirteen people and ended an occupation of a property. The Force was working with the City of Westminster to relocate people into housing. Supt Norma Collicott was a Member of the City’s Health and Well Being Board where she supported initiatives to help rough sleepers such suicide prevention and mental health assistance.

A Member remarked on the importance of Operation Fennel in working with City businesses, and the Commander of Operations added that it was important to deal with the issues that caused begging as displacement could skew figures. The Commissioner added that the project required resources, shared intelligence and constant vigilance.

The Chairman noted that the Hotel Forum launch had been well attended as well as the Safety First event.

Members and officers discussed the Eid event held at the Guildhall, Members supported the idea that in future, the City of London Corporation could play a larger role in hosting the event. It was noted that in the past, an Eid event had been hosted by the Lord Mayor at Mansion House and was in line with City of London priorities.