Agenda item

The Commissioner of the City of London Police to be heard.

The Sub-Committee received an update of the Commissioner of the City of London Police and the following points were made:

·         Operation Luscombe continued to operate successfully.  During Quarter 3 2021/22, 32 tickets had been issued of which 17 were “green” invites to attend the bi-monthly intervention hub, 10 were “amber” Community Protection Warnings and 5 were Community Protection Notices.  Criminal Behaviour Orders were also used where appropriate, such as where individuals were involved in begging, and an application was currently being made in respect of an individual whose behaviour had exceeded the threshold.  At every stage of issuing notices, individuals were invited to attend the bi-weekly intervention hub where they could access homelessness outreach and support services, and a significant proportion of those receiving notices did not come to notice again.  A day of action had been undertaken by the City of London Police on 19 January 2022 with Ward Officers attending the east-side of the City of London to support homeless and rough sleeping individuals.

·         The British Transport Police had tabled an update which advised that there had been a significant reduction in aggressive begging at transport hubs in recent months, although passive begging continued.  The present focus of the British Transport was night-time anti-social behaviour, violence against women and girls and staff assaults, but the British Transport Police would continue to work with the City of London Police on initiatives to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping, including Operation Luscombe.  A Committee Member underlined how passive begging was also cause for concern as it could escalate to more aggressive behaviours.  The Committee Member further noted that, when moved on by the Police, those engaged with begging activities often resumed them at a different location.

RESOLVED, that the update be noted.