Barking and Dagenham Council has officially adopted its new Community Safety Partnership Strategy for 2026-2030, outlining a comprehensive four-year plan to tackle crime and enhance safety across the borough.
The strategy, presented at the Full Council meeting on Wednesday, 23 September 2026, identifies nine priority areas based on crime data, resident feedback, and regional MOPAC priorities. These include serious youth violence, violence against women and girls, residential burglary, personal robbery, anti-social behaviour and environmental crime, substance misuse, reducing reoffending, counter-terrorism (including Prevent), and hate crime.
Councillor Syed Ghani, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Enforcement, presented the strategy, highlighting that it was informed by the latest Crime and Disorder Strategic Assessment and extensive resident and stakeholder engagement. The assessment revealed that robbery of personal property, domestic abuse, rape, violence with injury, and residential burglary account for 54% of the estimated harm to the community in the 12 months to August 2025.
Key Resident Concerns Shape Strategy
The development of the strategy was significantly shaped by extensive resident engagement. This included surveys, consultations on Public Spaces Protection Orders, youth engagement, a Women's Safety Forum, resident meetings, ward panels, safer neighbourhood arrangements, and specific consultations with domestic abuse survivors, young people, LGBTQIA+ residents, and people with learning disabilities and/or autism. Key concerns raised included the underreporting of crime, confidence in reporting processes, perceptions of safety, access to support services, environmental safety, and trust in statutory services.
Specifically, the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) consultation revealed that 71.5% of adults felt moderately safe or unsafe during the day and 84.5% at night. Furthermore, 50% of adults had been a victim or witness of crime in public spaces. For young people, 62.5% felt unsafe at night, with only 12.5% feeling very confident reporting to the police. Unsafe areas frequently identified by young people included Parsloes Park, Dagenham Heathway, and Mayesbrook Park, due to factors such as knife crime, gang activity, poor lighting, and lack of CCTV.
LGBTQIA+ residents reported concerns around hate crime, harassment, and public safety, particularly in the evenings around stations and in poorly lit areas. Residents with learning disabilities and autism expressed fears of knife crime, gang activity, and scams in public spaces, citing a lack of police presence and insufficient CCTV. Under-reporting of crimes, especially Hate Crime and VAWG, was identified as a significant challenge due to fear, lack of trust, cultural stigma, and concerns about outcomes.
Tackling Serious Youth Violence
The strategy identifies 'Serious Youth Violence' as a priority, defined as 'Serious violence affecting children and young adults under the age of 25'. This encompasses robbery and knife-enabled harm, gun crime, violence with injury, and exploitation and repeat victimisation. The strategy aligns with public health prevention and early help principles.
Barking and Dagenham is participating in the Home Office 'Young Futures Prevention Partnership' pilot. This initiative aims to identify children at risk of serious violence, knife crime, and anti-social behaviour by coordinating support at the earliest opportunity to address underlying causes of vulnerability and prevent escalation. The strategy also involves collaboration with partners such as the Metropolitan Police, Youth Justice Board, and various outreach teams like Mayans, Box Up, and the Lifeline for prevention and early intervention work. A new app, 'Rivie' (or similar), is also being introduced to allow for confidential reporting of threats or concerns.
Addressing Violence Against Women and Girls
Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) is another key priority, encompassing domestic violence, rape, and sexual offences. The strategy aims to improve outcomes, perpetrator management, and the provision of safe spaces. As highlighted by the Crime and Disorder Strategic Assessment, domestic abuse, rape, and violence with injury are among the top five highest harm crime types. The strategy acknowledges the disproportionate impact on women and girls.
Informed by engagement activities, including the Women's Safety Forum and consultations with survivor groups, the strategy aims to build trust through continuous community engagement, provide support services, improve the accessibility of reporting, and ensure communication of outcomes. Specific initiatives include 'Walk & Talks', 'Safe Havens', and a 'Reporting Hub'. A focus will also be placed on improving perpetrator management and safe spaces.
Partnership and Accountability
The strategy emphasizes a partnership approach, bringing together the Council, Police, London Fire Brigade, local Integrated Care Board, Probation Service, and the voluntary sector. The Community Safety Partnership (CSP) is a statutory requirement under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, with each partner remaining accountable for their agreed actions. The CSP provides collective oversight, challenge, and assurance.
Progress will be assessed through a balanced range of evidence, including crime and harm trends, resident perceptions, delivery of agreed partnership actions, and evaluation of interventions. Detailed actions, responsibilities, and delivery measures will be maintained within supporting action plans and governance arrangements. Progress will be reviewed regularly through the CSP and its thematic groups, and considered as part of the annual Strategic Assessment, allowing for revisions to priorities and approaches as needed. The strategy also highlights the importance of 'You Said, We Did' feedback cycles and links to published dashboards showing crime and community safety data and progress against CSP priorities.
This strategy provides the strategic framework for partnership activity and delivery planning over the next four years. It does not create additional budgetary requirements for the Enforcement, Regulatory, and Community Safety department. Any future additional funding requirements, resource realignment, or commissioning implications arising from delivery plans will be clearly identified and approval sought through the appropriate governance process within the Council.
The adoption of the strategy signifies the council's commitment to creating safer, cleaner, and greener neighbourhoods for all its residents. The full report can be found in the Public reports pack Wednesday 23-Sep-2026 19.00 Full Council.