Portobello Road phone thefts are being linked to organised gangs, with the crimes accounting for a significant portion of the total crime in the affected ward, councillors were told.
Councillor Jack Reason, the opposition councillor for Colville ward, highlighted at a Kensington and Chelsea Council meeting that much of the crime in his area, particularly around Portobello Road, is phone theft carried out by external gangs targeting tourists and visitors.
He stated that phone theft constitutes 33.8% of all crime in the wards
of Colville.
In response to these concerns, Kensington and Chelsea Council is implementing a new community safety plan in partnership with the Met Police. This plan aims to reduce crime and tackle anti-social behaviour through a range of measures. These include prevention and early intervention strategies, such as training for professionals to identify signs of harm and exploitation, and enhanced intelligence sharing via a monthly serious youth violence panel.
Furthermore, a motion was passed calling for increased police presence on the streets, the reopening of 24/7 police front counters at Kensington Police Station, and a full service at Notting Hill Police Station. The council is also considering the introduction of a nighttime enforcement team and plans to install 50 new CCTV cameras.
Councillor Johnny Thalassites, Lead Member for Resident Services, Planning, and Enforcement, also indicated that street enforcement patrols would be conducted. Advice would be provided to businesses, and enforcement action, including the potential use of Community Protection Notices, would be considered in relation to pavement cleanliness.
Looking towards long-term prevention, Councillor Reason suggested that the council should curate the market to create job opportunities for young people and entrepreneurs.
This could involve bringing job opportunities back for young people, more youth markets, and subsidised or free stalls for young people with a business idea and nowhere else to start one.
He believes this approach would serve as early intervention that actually works, because it gives young people something better to do than the crime you are asking about.
