The Ealing Safer Neighbourhood Board's meeting was scheduled to cover updates on local projects, a significant rise in anti-social behaviour and drug dealing in Southall, and a general police update. The board was also due to confirm the date of its next meeting.

Projects Update

The board was scheduled to receive an update on local projects funded by the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC). The Ealing Safer Neighbourhood Board (ESNB) receives £22,787 annually from MOPAC for these initiatives, with £5,200 allocated for administration by Ealing Council. All proposed projects must align with one of the Mayor of London's four criteria, be approved by the Board, and then by MOPAC. Project leads are required to submit mid-term and final reports.

Updates were expected on the Ealing Safer Women and Girls Empowerment Programme (ESWGEP), with its steering committee having met to define roles and begin research into best practices. A project plan with key dates, including a crucial end-of-year report submission to MOPAC by March 2026, was anticipated by the end of May.

Additionally, the board was to consider a proposal for the purchase of 14 G5 defibrillators and 14 bleed control kits, to be distributed across Ealing's seven towns. This initiative, intended to fall under the Mayor's Building safer, more confident communities criteria, would involve collaboration with Ealing Community Safety teams, Ealing Safer Neighbourhood Teams, the London Ambulance Service, and the London Fire Brigade to identify suitable locations. Businesses and community residents would be encouraged to apply for the equipment, with suppliers expected to provide training for community leaders. Recipients would be required to publicise the presence of the equipment, along with ESNB and MOPAC. This proposal was put forward due to a lack of project applications for 2026, with a deadline of 31 May for submission to MOPAC to avoid losing the funding.

Southall: Significant Rise in ASB & Drug Dealing

The meeting was scheduled to address a significant rise in anti-social behaviour (ASB) and drug dealing in Southall. The agenda indicated a discussion on how the police are dealing with these issues in the area.

Police Update and Q&A

A general update from the Metropolitan Police Service was planned, with Superintendent Sean Lynch and Acting Inspector Matt Buckland expected to provide information. The update was to cover the West Area Command Unit's focus on public protection and changes within the Safer Ealing Partnership.

Key statistics were scheduled to be presented, including:

• A slight increase of 2.6% in the total number of offences in Ealing over the past 12 months, placing Ealing 20th out of 32 London boroughs for crime volume.
• Reductions in theft from motor vehicles (7.3%), vehicle offences (7.1%), burglaries (4.8%), personal robbery (21%), and racist and religious hate crime (3.5%).
• A reduction in knife crime with injury (17.5%), and a decrease in knife victims under 25 (17.8%).
• An increase in shoplifting offences (3.8%) and sex offences (12%), with the latter not including violence against women and girls or domestic abuse, though significant challenges in domestic assaults were noted.
• An increase in violent crime (5.2%), although violence with injury was slightly down.
• A notable increase in drug-related offences (64%), though the actual number of offences was 2,055.

The police were also expected to discuss changes to the neighbourhood policing blueprint, linked to the government's neighbourhood policing guarantee, aiming for increased officer visibility and time spent in the field. The new Ealing Town Centre team was mentioned as contributing to more officers being available for policing in Ealing.

Further points for discussion included officers taking on additional responsibilities, such as working on mental health warrants, and the transition of school officers to DWOU Youth Officer roles to provide more coverage and capacity. The Metropolitan Police Service's (MPS) focus on new technologies, including the use of Live Facial Recognition and the Arora platform for prosecutions, was also on the agenda. The ASB action plan, with Ealing featuring prominently, and Operation Martello's anticipated shift towards a greater focus on violence and knife crime were also to be covered. The MPS's commitment to protecting at-risk communities in light of global events was to be highlighted, alongside efforts to increase public trust and confidence through improved police responsiveness, as evidenced by the use of Met Engage. The sign-up rate for Met Engage across all wards and the potential use of the system for targeted crime appeals were to be discussed. The presence of ward panels in all wards was to be noted, with mention of challenges in some wards, such as North Acton, affecting their functioning.

During the Q&A, it was anticipated that discussions would explore the reasons for the decrease in knife crime, the continued police involvement in schools through DWOU Youth Officers, operations targeting the illegal use of e-bikes, and how involvement in mental health warrants would not compromise Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee targets. The potential introduction of e-Sur-Ron bikes to Ealing was also to be considered.

Date of Next Meeting

The date for the next Ealing Safer Neighbourhood Board meeting was scheduled to be confirmed as 6 October 2026.