A message from the Leader of Camden Council, Councillor Richard Olszewski and Faith Forum Co-Chairs Councillor Nadia Shah and Councillor Rebecca Filer

“Camden Council remains deeply concerned about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and our hearts go out to all Israelis and Palestinians, and all those in the region, who continue to be impacted a year into the escalation of this terrible conflict.

“Our thoughts and prayers are also with all our Camden residents who remain concerned about the safety and security of relatives and loved ones. We appreciate that this continues to be a frightening and unsettling time. We want residents to know that we are here for them and that help and support is available locally if they need it.

“Camden’s focus and response must continue to be a compassionate, practical and local one, rooted in the responsibilities we have as local leaders to keep our communities safe and to promote community cohesion. We remain deeply concerned about the levels of reported hate crime we have seen towards our Jewish and Muslim residents and we are determined to continue working together to keep our whole community safe. It is vitally important that everyone feels informed, reassured and safe – and crucially, knows how to ask for help if they need it.

“Camden is made up of many communities and this diversity is one of our key strengths. Over the last year we have continued to work together with community leaders and our residents to keep our community safe – working with the Police to provide a visible presence in the borough, and supporting our faith communities through regular reassurance visits. Alongside this we have worked with community and faith leaders to create space for dialogue through regular interfaith meetings and events, investing in our communities through our cohesion grants programme and sharing stories of the contributions our faith leaders make to our borough. 

“We are proud to be a place where people from different backgrounds get on well together. Our focus is to ensure our communities remain united in these difficult times. We are at our strongest when we stand together united against hate.”

Councillor Richard Olszewski - Leader of Camden Council

Councillor Nadia Shah, Co-Chair Camden Faith Leaders Forum - Cabinet Member for Voluntary Sector, Equalities and Cohesion

Councillor Rebecca Filer, Co-Chair Camden Faith Leaders Forum

Practical, local action

Camden Council’s Community Safety team continues to work closely with the Police to provide a visible presence in the borough and to support our faith communities. We will continue to work closely with the Police and community partners, including our Faith Forum and religious leaders, to provide community reassurance and information, especially during heightened points of tension.

Keeping our communities safe

Camden is no place for hate. We have a shared responsibility to report hate we witness which could harm individuals and be divisive within our communities.

A criminal offence is one perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards someone.

Crimes can take many forms including physical assault, verbal abuse, harassment and damage to property.

To report a crime you should:

• Call the Police on 101
• Contact your local neighbourhood police for example by visiting your local station
• Report online via report-it.org.uk
• Report to one of Camden’s partners:

Read the full list of partners on our website.

• In an emergency, always call 999 and follow the ‘run, hide, tell’ advice.