Professionals from a wide range of organisations in the borough came to together for the annual Community Safety Partnership Conference to highlight success over the past 12 months. Hosted by Tower Hamlets Council, the conference on November 2, looked at achievements of the Community Safety Partnership and future plans to tackle residents’ concerns. Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman said: “The effective partnerships the council has developed with the police and third sector groups, means we have been able to achieve a lot. “Tackling anti-social behaviour remains a key issue and we have successfully introduced Tower Hamlets Enforcement Officers (THEOs) who have had a positive impact in reducing anti-social behaviour and making residents feel safer.” Borough Commander Dave Stringer explained how local policing will evolve to ensure more bobbies are on the beat. Up to 2,000 police officers will join the Safer Neighbourhoods Teams to increase visibility and impact on the streets across London. Policing structures will also be simplified, reducing the number of separate squads to operate more flexibly. The conference also unveiled Tower Hamlets Violence Against Women & Girls (VAWG) plans to tackle all gender specific abuse and violence including domestic violence, sexual offences, forced marriages, female genital mutilation and honour based violence. The plans aim to develop further understanding of how these issues affect people in Tower Hamlets, prevent violence against women and girls and provide support to victims. Speaking at the conference, Cllr Ohid Ahmed, deputy mayor of Tower Hamlets said: “I am very proud of the work of the Community Safety Partnership and the conference was an opportunity for all partners to focus their attention on key areas such as community cohesion, domestic violence and anti-social behaviour.” •To find out more about the Community Safety Partnership visit www.towerhamlets.gov.uk