Hammersmith and Fulham Council's Community Safety Board has agreed to scrutinise a maximum of two major reports per meeting, aiming for more in-depth examination of key issues. This new scrutiny process is intended to improve the quality of recommendations and, indirectly, lead to more effective outcomes in addressing community safety concerns.
The decision was made during the board's inaugural meeting on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. The board agreed to limit each meeting to a maximum of two substantial reports to ensure a more focused and detailed examination of the presented information. The introduction of local evidence-gathering sessions is also proposed to strengthen the board's evidence base.
Justin Hunt, Interim Assistant Director of Community Safety, presented an overview of the borough's comprehensive Community Safety Unit. The unit encompasses the Law Enforcement Team (LET), CCTV Service, Gangs, Violence and Exploitation Unit (GVEU), Community Safety Team, Anti-Social Behaviour Unit, Prevent Team, and Emergency Planning Service. Significant investment has been made in areas such as the CCTV network, violence reduction programmes, and services tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), exploitation, and hate crime.
The forward plan for the 2026/27 municipal year includes future discussions on estate safety, violence against women and girls, LET effectiveness, exploitation and organised crime, youth violence, CCTV and AI, licensing, and an overview of community safety finances. The Community Safety Team oversees the delivery of the VAWG Strategy 2022-2027, working with partners like the Angelou Partnership and Advance.
The effectiveness of the Law Enforcement Team (LET) is a planned future discussion item. A performance report for the LET covering January to June 2026 detailed increased patrol activity, with a 71.2% rise in overall patrols and a significant 78.7% increase in patrols in Highways and District Centres. Housing patrols also saw an 89.9% increase. The report highlighted a decrease in ASB-specific service requests by 14.4% and noted the success of the LET App in improving efficiency and resident engagement.
The forward plan also includes a future discussion on exploitation and organised crime. The Gangs, Violence and Exploitation Unit (GVEU) supports young people aged 10-25 involved in or at risk of gang activity and exploitation, with workstreams including investigations and intelligence capture related to county lines and exploitation.
The next meeting is scheduled for November 16, 2026. Further details on the board's agenda and reports can be found in the Public reports pack and the Agenda frontsheet.
