Pioneering community safety project expands to E9
A pioneering project that has been praised as a model for addressing crime and antisocial behaviour is to be rolled out across other neighbourhoods in Hackney.
From this week, football sessions led by Leyton Orient football club, mobile phone marking, additional enforcement patrols and increased street cleaning will be among an initial three-week intensive programme of activities taking place across the E9 area.
The project follows a similar initiative in the Gilpin Square area last year that included increasing police patrols, upgrading the CCTV system, removing abandoned vehicles, new planting, removing graffiti, jet-washing pavements, repairing street lights and creating a new community art mural.
It’s based on an innovative approach to community safety which suggests that visible signs of crime and antisocial behaviour encourages further law-breaking.
The clean up project has contributed to a reduction in crime by a third in just one year. Metropolitan Police data reveals there were 99 crimes committed between January and April 2023, and 69 during the same period in 2024.
Anthony Goodman, a professor of criminal and community social justice at Middlesex University, who grew up in Stoke Newington and co-authored a report praising the project, said: “I really believe in the broken windows theory and that this project could work with other London estates. This project inspired confidence in the local community and its organisations and the belief they are not being forgotten.”
The Council's Community Gangs Team was set up in 2010 to take a holistic approach to tackling crime. This means they work closely with residents, with a particular focus on young people and those who are at risk of becoming involved in gang violence, to resolve the social, educational, mental health and other factors that can lead to serious crime.
The team provides varied and flexible support - from organising free sports sessions for young people, to providing training and mentoring opportunities, or renovating community spaces. They work with the community and partners to set up local initiatives that make the area look and feel safer.
Community safety is not just about enforcement. Getting residents more involved in their community and proud of where they live is an important part of reducing crime.
We know the difference that our work in Gilpin Square made last year made, which is why we’re expanding that approach to other parts of Hackney. If you live in E9, I encourage you to take part in the activities taking place over the next three weeks and help make your neighbourhood safer.
Cllr Susan Fajana-Thomas OBE, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Regulatory Services