Building on surveys conducted in 2022 and 2024, the council wants to hear the experiences of women and girls to understand how safe they feel living, working, and travelling in Camden.

It’s part of the council’s continued commitment to tackling violence against women and girls and taking action to help them feel safer.

Findings from previous surveys have helped us identify concerns and take local approaches to improving safety. This includes:

• A 40% increase in late-night community reassurance patrols
• Conducting more safety walkabouts – for women and girls to identify issues with the council and police
• Introducing free bystander training for residents and organisations
• Opening more Safe Havens across the borough – providing safe spaces for women and girls to access support

Visit our webpage to find out more and complete the survey, which is open until Friday 4 December 2026.

Find the Camden Safety Bus

The Camden Safety Bus is a safe space for people who are out in Camden Town on a Friday or Saturday night. This includes women and girls who often don’t feel safe or have experienced harassment or inappropriate behaviour.

The stationary bus is available on Friday and Saturday nights between 9.30pm and 2.30am.  It is parked outside of Camden Town Tube station. You can come directly to the bus, or call during the opening hours on 07946 578 608 if you need help or advice.   

 Find your nearest Safe Haven

Safe Havens are local businesses that can help by providing a friendly face and reassurance, calling the police or family or friends, and giving directions or public transport information to help your journey. Find a Camden Safe Haven.

How to report sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour

Sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour on the street can include: 

• Sexual assault
• Inappropriate physical contact
• Unwelcome touching, hugging, cornering or kissing
• Sexually suggestive comments or jokes that offend or intimidate
• Catcalling
• Wolf-whistling
• Intrusive staring of a sexual nature
• Upskirting (taking pictures under someone's clothes)
• Stalking

If you’ve witnessed or been the victim of a crime, report it to the police. You can report an incident directly by: 

• Calling 999 in an emergency,
• calling 101 if it isn't an emergency,
• through the Met Police website,
• by going to the nearest police station to you.

If the incident took place on the train, you can: 

• text the British Transport Police on 61016,
• call 0800 40 50 40
• report online at the British Transport Police website      

At tonight’s Full Council meeting (13 July), the council led a debate to shape the next phase of Camden’s urgent work preventing violence against women and girls – focusing on early intervention and holistic support for survivors.

The debate included councillors, residents, and representatives of community groups and local organisations who support women and girls in the borough – including Women at The Well, Tender, Hopscotch, and the Camden Women’s Forum.

As part of the council’s ongoing commitment to making the borough a safer place for women and girls, Camden is set to launch its first standalone Preventing Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy for 2026 to 2030. This sets out clear actions and Camden’s approach to preventing violence, strengthening early identification, improving support for survivors, and holding perpetrators to account.

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) includes sexual harassment, sexual violence, domestic abuse, exploitation, and faith or honour-based violence. Camden's VAWG Assessment found that one in four women in the borough is likely to experience domestic abuse during her lifetime, underlining the importance of continued action to prevent abuse and support survivors.

In the strategy, violence against women and girls is addressed as a serious public health issue. It highlights domestic violence as a significant local issue, but also the need to prevent and respond to other forms of harassment and violence which are often underreported.

Co-developed with survivors and key community partners, the council’s approach takes any responsibility away from women and girls to change their behaviour, and more towards preventative work to ensure the borough is a safe place for women and girls to thrive, without fear of harassment or abuse. This includes equipping staff across services and partner organisations to spot warning signs earlier, while also working with the police, schools, and youth settings to change perpetrator behaviour and promote healthy relationships.

The debate re-affirmed five key priorities within the strategy, setting clear actions to bring meaningful change:

• Prevention, through a public health and life-course approach that challenges harmful attitudes and behaviours

 • Earlier identification and support, strengthening professional responses across services

 • Holistic support for adult and child survivors - including housing, mental health and recovery

• Holding perpetrators to account, through a whole-system approach that centres survivor and child safety

 • Working in partnership, strengthening coordination across the Council, partners, communities and survivors.

The Strategy builds on Camden's longstanding investment in tackling violence against women and girls, including specialist support services, partnership working and workforce training to strengthen the identification of abuse and support for survivors. This includes new training and policies to help council housing staff recognise signs of abuse to signpost survivors to any support they may need.

Other work to tackle violence against women and girls includes Camden’s ‘Call It Out’ sexual harassment campaign, encouraging bystanders to safely take action if they witness an incident of sexual harassment or assault.

How to report - Camden Safety Net

Camden Safety Net is the council’s domestic and sexual violence advocacy service which provides support to thousands of survivors, including access to mental health services, legal advice, and employment support.

If you or anyone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, please know there is support available. Call Camden Safety Net on 020 7974 2526. You can also call the National Domestic Helpline 24/7 on 0808 2000 247. If you are in an emergency, please call 999.

The teams will operate seven days a week in Holborn & Bloomsbury, Camden Town, and Kilburn. They can also be rapidly deployed to other areas across Camden as required.

The additional officers come as part of a £1million investment announced in the council’s budget earlier this year, enhancing the council’s commitment to clamping down on a range of offences such as retail crime, anti-social behaviour, drug activity, and environmental crime.

Community Safety Enforcement Officers have a broad range of powers and can issue fines for offences such as alcohol-related anti-social behaviour, illegal street trading, and fly-tipping. They may also have more powers in areas with Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs). They work in partnership with the police to gather intelligence, deter criminals, and reassure communities.

This brings the total number of Camden’s Community Safety Enforcement Officers up to 50, enhancing visibility across the whole borough and increasing resources to support residents or businesses in areas where issues may persist.

Anyone concerned about anti-social behaviour is encouraged to report issues online or call 020 7974 4444. In an emergency, call 999.

A public consultation earlier this year with residents, businesses, and visitors found that intimidating behaviour caused by street drinking is a concern for people in Camden.

The introduction of the PSPO gives the police and council enforcement officers increased powers to act against anyone irresponsibly drinking alcohol in public. The new restrictions come as part of the council’s continued work to tackle anti-social behaviour across the borough.

The PSPO requires anyone to stop drinking alcohol if requested to do so by an officer and to surrender any alcohol, or anything an officer believes to be alcohol, which will be disposed of. Any breach of these conditions is a criminal offence and would result in a fixed penalty notice of £100. A person committing the offence will have 28 days to pay the fixed penalty, otherwise they may be prosecuted.

Enforcement officers will also work closely with partner organisations to refer any vulnerable people to appropriate support services where needed, including alcohol and substance misuse teams, rough sleeping support, and safeguarding.

The new restrictions will cover all streets and public spaces in the borough apart from Hampstead Heath, which is managed by City of London Corporation.

The PSPO will be in place from July 2026. After three years it will require a review before any possible further extension.

Anyone concerned about anti-social behaviour is encouraged to report issues online or call 0207 974 4444. In an emergency, call 999.

The scheme is part of the council’s ongoing commitment to tackling violence against women and girls and making everyone feel safer in the borough.

If someone is feeling threatened, being harassed on the street, or needs help to make a safe onward journey – they can drop in to the Safe Haven to get support. This support could include access to water, Wi-Fi, a phone charger, or help contacting family, friends, or emergency services.

The council have partnered with the Safer Business Network to deliver specialist training with a focus on providing friendly and non-judgemental support, reassuring anyone feeling vulnerable and signposting them any further help they may need.

So far, 17 businesses and venues in Camden are officially accredited Safe Havens and this number continues to grow. This includes many community centres, libraries, pubs, and more. You can look for the Safe Haven sticker displayed outside the venue or visit our website for an interactive map.

Participating venue, Wac Arts, said: “Wac Arts is proud to take part in the Safe Haven initiative, continuing the Old Town Hall’s 150‑year legacy as a place of safety, connection, and community support. The training was deeply informative and encouraged us to reflect on our own role in creating a safer, more welcoming environment for anyone who may need refuge. As a long‑standing organisation in this historic building, we’re committed to ensuring our community has access to essential support when it matters most.”

Any organisations interested in signing up as a Safe Haven can visit our webpage to find out more and register.

Camden Safety Bus

The Camden Safety Bus is also available as a safe space for people out late in Camden Town. This includes women and girls who may not feel safe or need help to get home. The bus is parked outside of Camden Town underground station on Fridays and Saturdays from 9.30pm-2.30am. You can come directly to the bus or call 07946 578 608 if you need help or advice.

Keeping our residents and communities safe is our top priority. If you would like to speak to someone about this incident or if you have any concerns or information, please contact our Community Safety Team by visiting camden.gov.uk/crime-safety or calling 020 7974 4444.

Support for our communities

• If you are in an emergency situation, call 999 and follow the ‘run, hide, tell’ advice.
• Camden is no place for hate. If you experience a hate crime, please report it.

The week raises awareness of what defines hate crime, how to report incidents, and everyone’s part to play in driving out this behaviour.

Hate crime is any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards someone due to:

• race or perceived race
• religion or perceived religion
• transgender identity or perceived transgender identity
• sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation
• disability or perceived disability

A hate incident is any incident which the victim, or anyone else, thinks is based on someone’s prejudice towards them because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or because they are transgender. A hate incident can include verbal abuse, intimidation, threats, harassment, assault and bullying, as well as damage to property.

Not all hate incidents will amount to criminal offences, but it is equally important that these are reported and recorded by the police.

To report this behaviour:

• If someone is in danger call the Police on 999. For non-emergencies call 101 or visit your local police station.
• For information on how to report online through the Police and trusted partner organisations, visit: www.camden.gov.uk/hate-crime
• Call the Council on 020 7974 4444.
• Even if you don’t report a hate crime straight away, please do report it.
• More information on recognising and reporting hate crime can be found at: www.camden.gov.uk/hate-crime

Below are some of the organisations we partner with to tackle hate crime in Camden, and where you can get support if you experience or witness this behaviour.

• Stop Hate UK is one of the leading national organisations working to challenge all forms of Hate Crime and discrimination, based on any aspect of an individual’s identity. Stop Hate UK provides independent, confidential, and accessible reporting and support for victims, witnesses and third parties. Their services can be accessed at www.stophateuk.org/
• Community Security Trust is a charity that protects British Jews from antisemitism and related threats. For more information, please visit https://cst.org.uk/about-cst
• TELL MAMA support victims of anti-Muslim hate and is a public service which also measures and monitors anti-Muslim incidents. If you have been a victim of an anti-Muslim prejudiced incident or hate crime you can report it to them at www.tellmamauk.org/submit-a-report-to-us
• forum+ support victims of homophobic, biphobic and transphobic hate crime across Camden and Islington and in surrounding boroughs where appropriate. forum+ aim to promote equality and diversity by the elimination of discrimination in relation to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people living, working, socialising and/or studying in Camden and Islington. You can access their service at www.forumplus.org.uk
• Victim Support is an independent charity that helps people affected by crime or traumatic events get the support they need and the respect they deserve. If you’ve been affected by crime, they can give you the support you need to move forward. Their services are free, confidential and can be accessed at www.victimsupport.org.uk
• Met Police and British Transport Police The police will record any crime as a hate crime where the victim or any other person perceives it was motivated by hostility or prejudice towards their identity. In an emergency always call 999. Non-emergency incidents can be reported online via report-it.org.uk. Alternatively, if you are a victim or witness to any form of hate crime on the railway, you can contact British Transport Police www.btp.police.uk

The council is taking a joint approach with the police, community partners, and residents to help tackle the issue and make Camden a safer place for everyone.

Anti-social behaviour is any behaviour that makes you feel unsafe, or that you feel might make others feel unsafe. This could include drug use or drug dealing, threatening behaviour, abuse, vandalism, or property damage.

The updated Anti-Social Behaviour Policy now includes specific actions to help residents living on Camden’s estates feel safer in and around their homes. This includes allocating dedicated teams of Community Safety Enforcement Officers to hotspot areas.

Residents are urged to report any anti-social behaviour via our online reporting tool, or by calling 0207 974 4444. In an emergency always call 999.

Every incident reported will be assessed by an officer from our Community Safety Team. The team gathers evidence and interviews any victims or witnesses, working with specialist teams and the police to develop an action plan to address the issue. This could involve patrolling the area, issuing formal warnings, or taking appropriate legal action. In some cases, support interventions from mental health services, housing, social services, may be needed to ensure the correct support and treatment of perpetrators.

Residents, local organisations, community leaders and businesses are invited to meet Cllr Gould to discuss the challenges in Camden, as well as the opportunities to work together to improve the borough for everyone.

This is an opportunity to ask questions and discuss ideas on issues ranging from housing and rubbish collections, to education and adult social care. The event will be chaired by the Headteacher of Netley School, Bavaani Nanthabalan, and will be broadcast live.

Cllr Gould will also be answering questions live on the Council's twitter account @CamdenCouncil the following day, Friday 14 December, from 3 to 5pm. Please submit your questions using the hashtag #AskGeorgia

The event is part of the Council's response to feedback received during the development of Camden 2025, the borough's community vision. Residents spoke about the importance of being able to talk directly to their Councillors, and to be involved in local decisions that affect them.

Activity has so far included borough-wide citizens' assemblies, inviting the public and community organisations to lead council debate on issues like rough sleeping, community conversations about rising crime, and investing in community organisers.

The event is free to attend and tickets can be booked at the above link. 

The borough has seen an eight per cent rise in knife crime with injuries in the last year, according to the latest official crime figures, with young people often the victims of this crime.

This is well below the London-wide increase of 18% over the same period (October 2016 to September 2017), compared with the previous year.

The council, police and other local partners, such as voluntary youth services, are keen to look at the causes of the smaller but still significant increase in Camden and come up with possible solutions to the problem before it gets any worse.

Our local politicians and senior council officers will be getting together with local police chiefs, voluntary youth services, young people and parents as part of the Camden Youth Safety Taskforce, which will also look at how young people are sometimes the victims of knife crime.

We want every young person to grow up safely in our borough with access to all the opportunities Camden has to offer. The taskforce will be working with parents and carers, young people, voluntary youth services, our local police and MPs. At the same time, the council is continuing to invest in youth services, ensuring young people have the support they need to thrive.

Councillor Abdul Hai, Camden Council’s Cabinet Member for Young People and Cohesion, is co-chairing the borough’s new taskforce with Holborn and St Pancras MP Keir Starmer.

Cllr Hai said: “We have a good record in Camden of promoting community cohesion and helping to prevent youth violence. However, recent trends mean we have to take a fresh look at this issue and how best to tackle it. The taskforce will help us to hear from as wide a group of people as possible. Young people are sometimes the victims of violent crime and we need to make sure our young people can feel safe on the streets of Camden and that we listen to their concerns.”

Keir Starmer MP said: “This is a really important initiative from Camden Council. There has been a worrying increase in youth violence in Camden and indeed across London. There is no doubt that more must be done to tackle this issue and ensure young people have the support they need to stay safe and avoid being caught up in the criminal justice system. I'm absolutely committed to working with the council and the community on this issue, and I am pleased to have the opportunity to co-chair the taskforce with Councillor Hai.”

Detective Superintendent Caroline Haines, the senior Met Police lead for knife crime in Camden and Islington, said: “Rising youth violence and knife crime is sadly a reality facing much of London. We are absolutely committed to the Youth Safety Taskforce and welcome the opportunity of working together with our community and partners to ensure we are doing everything we can to keep the young people of Camden safe and confident. We will look to build on some of the excellent partnership activity that is already ongoing, but having input from the local community is also key and that is why I am really excited about the new taskforce.”

The Youth Safety Taskforce, which held its first extended meeting for community partners on Friday, 15 December will:

• examine patterns of youth offending and violence in Camden and across London, using the latest data and research
• look at youth services in Camden, which are still relatively well-funded compared with other parts of the country and despite cuts to our budget by the government
• see what we can learn from initiatives in other cities – for example, recent work to combat youth gangs and violence in Manchester
• look at the role of social media in provoking or helping to instigate youth violence and victimisation
• find out how it feels to be a young person in Camden and hear from victims of youth violence and their families.

Further information:

• Members of the Camden Youth Safety Taskforce include representatives from the Metropolitan Police, voluntary youth sector, Camden’s Youth MP, senior council officers and local politicians, including the Leader of the Council and Leader of the Opposition
• The taskforce is co-chaired by Councillor Abdul Hai, Camden Council’s Cabinet Member for Young People and Cohesion, and Holborn and St Pancras MP, Keir Starmer
• Its initial findings will be shared in March 2018, with a report due in June
• For more details, visit camden.gov.uk/youthsafetytaskforce
• Camden is also supporting the Mayor of London’s campaign to deter young people from carrying knives, which is called ‘London Needs You Alive’.

CANCELLED - Kings Cross area - Wednesday 13 December, 6.30pm
Chardswell Healthy Living Centre, Harrison Street, WC1 8JF

Bourne Estate/Leather Lane area - Thursday 14 December, 6.30pm
Holborn Library, 32-38 Theobalds Rd, WC1X 8PA

The Conversations will be facilitated by Community Safety and Emergency Management in partnership with the Police, Housing & other agencies.

Attended by Councillor Nadia Shah - Cabinet Member for Safer Communities & Senior Officers from across the Partnership.

For more information and if you would like to attend, please email communitysafety@camden.gov.uk.

“We know that levels of crime are rising nationally, and across London, and this is having an impact in Camden. I want to reassure you all that we are listening to your concerns and we are working with the police and our partners to make sure our communities across Camden are safe and feel secure.

The police are creating a new team of neighbourhood officers, to provide a reassuring presence and to keep people safe. These Officers will tackle crime in the worst affected areas of the borough.

We have invested additional resources to enhance the services we provide to rough sleepers over the winter months, including the creation of a ‘hotspot team’ that is working in key locations in partnership with the police. To support more people off our streets and to make sure both those sleeping on our streets and our communities are kept safe.

I would like to invite local residents to these events to talk about their concerns, share the impact it is having on their community, and look at how we can work together to make our neighbourhoods feel safe again for everyone.

More conversations are planned in the New Year, so I invite as many of you as possible to come along and join us at these events, to work with us to build a safer Camden.”

Councillor Nadia Shah
Cabinet Member for Safer Communities

01.24 UPDATE: So far we have secured hundreds of hotel beds for Chalcots' residents. We're encouraging all residents to stay with friends and family if they can, otherwise we'll provide accommodation. Swiss Cottage rest centre is nearing capacity so we've secured more space at the Camden Centre King's Cross. Specialist staff are on the ground to assist residents with care needs. Pets are also welcome at both rest centres and hotel accommodation. 

UPDATE: London Fire Brigade statement about why tonight's evacuations had to take place:

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: "London Fire Brigade have been working at the Chalcots Estate with Camden Council. Following extensive joint visits and inspections the Brigade advised that there were a number of fire safety issues in the buildings and recommended that residents should not remain in the buildings until these issues are resolved.

"Camden Council have acted on this by evacuating and providing the residents with alternative accommodation so that remedial works can go ahead as quickly as possible.

"London Fire Brigade officers will continue to work with Camden to put in place measures to improve safety for residents in these buildings."

22:07 UPDATE: We are evacuating residents from all five blocks, starting immediately. If you have friends or family you can stay with tonight please do so. If you do arrange to do this but need longer term accommodation, please come to Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre tomorrow and we will help you find accommodation at no cost 

To ensure your safety we are door-knocking the blocks one at a time. We are doing this in the following order:

1. Taplow
2. Burnham
3. Bray
4. Blashford
5. Dorney

You will be able to get back into your block over the weekend to collect more of your possessions, however this will be under escort from the London Fire Brigade. In the meantime we recommend you pack a bag with enough items to last two to four weeks.   

21:05 UPDATE: As a result of ongoing checks, the decision has been taken to decant residents from all five tower blocks at the Chalcots estate. We have council staff on site providing information and guidance to residents who are being provided with temporary accommodation. Where residents can stay with family and friends we are encouraging them to do this. But if this isn't possible we are providing temporary accommodation. 

Councillor Georgia Gould, Leader of Camden Council, said:

“Camden Council is absolutely determined to ensure that our residents are safe and we have promised them that we will work with them, continue to act swiftly and be open and transparent.

“Last night the Chief Executive and I led a public meeting to listen to the concerns held by residents of the Chalcots estate. Upon hearing from residents we immediately instructed a joint fire inspection with the London Fire Brigade.

“Today the London Fire Brigade completed a joint inspection of the blocks with Camden Council technical experts. Together we decided that the Taplow block needs to be temporarily decanted while we undertake urgent fire safety works so that residents can be fully assured of their safety. This means that we need to move residents from their homes and into temporary accommodation.

“We anticipate that these works will be completed within three to four weeks. We realise that this is hugely distressing for everyone affected and we will be doing all we can, alongside the London Fire Brigade and other authorities, to support our residents at this difficult time. The Grenfell fire changes everything – we need to do everything we can to keep residents safe.

“You will appreciate that this is an emerging situation and we will be providing regular updates.”

Follow @camdentalking and camden.gov.uk/news

Previous statements

23 June 2017; Statement from Borough Fire Commander on fire safety work at the Chalcots Estate

“Our thoughts remain with the victims of the tragic events at Grenfell Tower and we have offered our support to Kensington & Chelsea. In the immediate aftermath of the tragic fire at Grenfell, Camden's housing team initiated additional tower block inspections and a review of fire safety. We are ready to fully support any national investigation into materials, building standards and safety regulations. It’s vital for all of London’s residents who live in high-rise buildings, that we learn from investigations into what caused and exacerbated the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower.

“Whilst the arrangement of the cladding and insulation used on Camden Council’s buildings differs* from that at Grenfell, and a fire in one of our clad buildings in 2012 was contained, it is still understandable that this week’s tragedy, and the speculation about its cause, has worried people in other high-rise buildings.

“We want to do as much as we can to reassure those residents, which is why we immediately initiated extra property inspections. These include checks of exterior cladding, and an overall review of the fire safety of our buildings. This is in addition to the ongoing programme of Fire Risk Assessments that all housing blocks on our estates are subject to.

"Camden Council believes in public housing and we invest in it. We are determined to continue to ensure that our existing housing and our new developments are not only safe, but of high quality. We believe that local authorities are best at delivering solutions at a local level and this is our message to the Government.

“We value our relationship with our residents and the Council has met with residents’ associations and written to residents who live in our tower blocks to let them know we are carrying out these checks. This engagement work will continue and we’ll do everything we can to keep concerned residents informed as our safety review progresses.

“The council also continues to work closely with our local MPs and key partners and with the London Fire Brigade to ensure that fire safety procedures continue to meet the latest advice and guidance for all properties. We stand ready to respond to any changes to fire safety advice following investigations into this tragic fire.”

*The design of the Camden cladding differs, using a vertically fixed panel system, rather than the horizontally fixed cassette system used at Grenfell.

Previous statement made by Cllr Georgia Gould, Leader of Camden Council, on June 14:

“Our deepest sympathies go out to all those involved and affected by the fire at Grenfell Tower in west London, and particularly to the families and friends of those who have lost their lives in this tragedy. London’s emergency services have done their utmost to tackle an incredibly challenging situation and I want to thank them for their dedicated and brave actions.

“We are on standby to provide support, such as temporary housing, to Kensington and Chelsea Council and are liaising with the Royal Free Hospital to ensure casualties have assistance in place when they are ready to leave hospital.

“Anyone who has concerns about friends or relatives at Grenfell Tower should contact the Police emergency telephone number on: 0800 0961 233.

“If you would like to donate clothes, blankets etc. to support the victims there is a collection at NW5 Project, The Hut, Islip St until 6pm today.  The Kensington and Chelsea Foundation have also set up a 'Grenfell Tower Appeal' for donations at www.thekandcfoundation.com/donate."

Simon Tuhill, Camden Borough Commander at London Fire Brigade: “The London Fire Brigade have been responding to the major fire at Grenfell Tower in Kensington.

“I want to reassure Camden residents that we remain on standby to keep them safe. In the event of a fire, please ring 999 as normal – we are here and ready to respond.”

Cllr Gould added:

“Camden Council has robust fire policies and procedures in place for our properties. Our Housing and Property Officers work closely with the London Fire Brigade and our partners to ensure they reflect the latest fire safety guidance."

On Wednesday (14th) afternoon, the Leader and Councillor Pat Callaghan, Cabinet Member for Housing wrote to Camden District Management Committees and Tenant and Resident Associations to confirm additional fire safety checks will be made on council housing blocks. Read the full letter.

The investigation into the terrorist attack in Manchester is large scale, fast moving and making progress. There has been an arrest and there are currently multiple searches and other activity taking place. However, at this stage it is still not possible to be certain if there was a wider group involved in the attack.

The Metropolitan Police have increased their presence across the capital and military personnel will now be deployed to protect key sites and transport hubs. Because of this there may be visible military presence at Camden locations such as St Pancras. This is part of an agreed and well-rehearsed plan and military personnel will remain under the command and control of the police service.

Residents are asked to stay calm but remain vigilant. You can also report anything suspicious to the police by calling 0800 789 321. If you feel in immediate danger please call 999.

If you are confronted by a potentially dangerous situation, the Police advise “Run, Hide, Tell”.

RUN to a place of safety. This is a far better option than to surrender or negotiate. If there’s nowhere to go, then…

HIDE. It’s better to hide than to confront. Remember to turn your phone to silent and turn off vibrate. Barricade yourself in if you can.

Then finally and only when it is safe to do so…

TELL the police by calling 999.

At this time we remind everyone to remain calm but alert. If you see anything that causes you concern, then report it immediately. We will not allow these dreadful attacks to divide us or to undermine our freedoms.

Camden is a place that champions equality and celebrates diversity, welcoming people from different countries and backgrounds. It is a diverse and cohesive borough where all our communities are valued for the contributions they bring. Camden rejects all messages of hate based on people’s nationality or ethnicity. We are encouraging residents to report and share information of any type of hate crime that they witness or experience in the borough.

If you witness a hate crime report it, even if you are unsure what happened - the perpetrator may do it again. If anyone is in danger call 999. For non-emergencies, call the police on 101.

If you have concerns about community tensions please contact us via 020 7974 4444 or by email communitysafety@camden.gov.uk 

Our message is clear: these crimes will not be tolerated and we must stand together to support all residents and visitors.

Business Continuity Awareness Week (BCAW) encourages businesses to review how they would keep their business operating during a disruption, such as a sudden loss of access to the office building, an IT failure or a transport strike. This year’s BCAW focuses on understanding and protecting businesses against online threats, currently the most significant business risk.

Cyber-attacks and data breaches cost organisations billions of pounds every year. As the world becomes more digitally-led that figure is likely to go up. Incidents are increasing globally and are unpredictable, sometimes going undetected for months or years. There are many different types of cyber-attacks, including social engineering and phishing. Similarly, the people and organisations who carry them out have different motivations, including for money or political ideals.

Cyber-attacks target the weakest links of an organisation, so knowing your weaknesses, raising awareness and testing recovery plans are essential to security and corporate governance. Business Continuity can help identify where your business is vulnerable and how to limit losses if an attack does happen.

Educating your employees about cybercrime and putting in place the right solutions is key to making your business more resilient against threats. Because the nature of the threats can be so diverse, it’s important that responses remain flexible. Planning to recover from a data breach is very different from planning for the aftermath of a terrorist attack, for instance.

To help you understand and prepare for cybercrimes:

• Join the Business Continuity Institute (BCI)
• Take a free webinar from the BCI during the week
• Test your crisis response skills with this free incident simulation game
• Read the BCI Cyber Resilience Report to find out how organisations across the world have responded to cyber security incidents
• Download the BCI Horizon Scan, a vital resource to those working in business continuity, risk or resilience
• Find out more about cyber resilience with the BCI Working Paper by Rudy Muls MBCI
• Explore case studies that demonstrate the importance of business continuity and how to address the threat.

Find out more:

Visit our website or thebci.org for more links and information.

In 2016 the council consulted with residents because of these community concerns. 93% of respondents supported the use of a PSPO and 84% supported the suggestion to introduce a “dogs on lead” requirement in designated areas.

For more information visit our website.

The Council’s commitment to supporting people sleeping rough is currently centred on the successful specialist Safer Streets Team. The Council has been a leading innovator in London over the years in tackling the inequality of rough sleeping. Currently three quarters of new rough sleepers who arrive in the borough receive assistance which prevents them from having to sleep rough again.

The new approach recognises the need to work together. The Council will develop new ways of working to meet the needs of rough sleepers in the borough and to improve their well-being, through collaboration with voluntary and community sector (VCS) agencies, providing help and assistance, sharing expertise and energy to respond to the challenges of emerging issues such as labour exploitation and human trafficking.

We will also engage with all our communities so that residents know of the services that are available for rough sleepers and how they can help. 

Anyone who has concerns about rough sleeping in the borough can contact the Council’s Safer Streets hotline at any time on tel: 020 7833 7970 or Freephone: 0808 800 0005.

For more information visit the council’s website.

Image shows (Left to right): Kate Tebbet (St Mungo’s Regional Head – Camden Services); Paul  and Marcus (Endsleigh Gardens clients). Standing Councillor Jonathan Simpson (Cabinet Member for Community Safety and the Voluntary Sector).

Councillor Simpson met with Paul and Marcus at Endsleigh Gardens to chat about their individual journeys and experiences of being homeless in Camden and the support and help received from St Mungo’s and other agencies.

St Mungo's vision is that everyone has a place to call home and can fulfill their hopes and ambitions. As a homelessness charity and a housing association, our clients are at the heart of what we do. We provide a bed and support to more than 2,500 people a night who are either homeless or at risk, and work to prevent homelessness. We support men and women through more than 250 projects including emergency, hostel and supportive housing projects, advice services, specialist physical health, mental health and skills and work services. We believe in our clients’ potential. We are committed to every individual’s sustainable recovery

The awareness week, coordinated by organisations including the NSPCC, Rape Crisis and The Survivors Trust, wants to get people talking more about sexual abuse to break down the silence and stigma that can surround it.

In England and Wales, approximately 85,000 women and 12,000 men are raped every year – that's roughly 11 every hour. However, only around 15% of people who experience sexual violence will report it to the police. The awareness week aims to highlight the support available to victims of abuse, so anyone who needs help knows what local services are available to them.

Talk to us

Camden Safety Net is our dedicated support service for anyone living, working or studying in Camden. Our trained advisors are here to listen and talk through the available options if you have experienced sexual abuse or violence. They can also help connect anyone who wants further help with specialist services, such as rape crisis and sexual assault referral centres. If you aren’t sure whether what you have experienced is sexual abuse, please talk to us. We will listen in confidence and it will be your decision if you want to report what has happened.

Campaigning for support

Raising awareness of the signs of abuse, and of Camden Safety Net’s services, has been the focus of our series of know campaigns over the past three years. Throughout this week, our campaign video for know you’re not alone will be shown at a selection of cinemas, and venues across the borough will be displaying posters highlighting the contact details for Camden Safety Net. Our hope is that we can ignite conversation around the issue and reach anyone who needs our help.

Find out more:

Join in the conversation on social media with the official hashtag for the awareness week #itsnotok and the hashtag from our Camden Safety Net campaign #KnowYoureNotAlone.

If you are experiencing sexual abuse or violence, or know someone who is, contact Camden Safety Net.

• camden.gov.uk/know
• camdensafetynet@camden.gov.uk
• 020 7974 2526

The video was created as part of our ‘know you’re not alone’ campaign, highlighting that domestic abuse can happen to anyone, regardless of age, gender identity, sexual orientation or culture. It addresses scenarios including men as victims of abuse, LGBT relationships and honour-based violence, and portrays how abuse isn’t just physical. Along with a full-length short video, each scene was released as a separate mini-video. The videos direct anyone who is experiencing domestic abuse, or knows someone who is, to Camden Safety Net, our dedicated support service.

We’d like to offer our thanks to the wide variety of local organisations and experts who offered their expertise during the research phase of producing the video and helped us share the video with our residents. Organisations including the LGBT charity Galop, Camden LGBT Forum, Hopscotch Asian Women’s Centre, along with independent domestic violence support advisers for BME communities gave us invaluable insight and allowed us to create a powerful video depicting different scenarios and issues relevant to the borough’s demographics.

The judges said, “This video offers a subtle and engaging snapshot into a variety of cases of abuse, portrayed very sympathetically. The increase in referrals, in line with growth in viewing figures, is an excellent demonstration of the success of this most worthy campaign.”

We are committed to tackling domestic violence and abuse in the borough. Alongside our campaigning work we have increased our investment in frontline services, so that we have more people on the ground who can offer safety advice and support to victims and their families. We have also been working with representatives within the criminal justice system to improve outcomes for domestic violence and abuse cases heard in court.

The UnAwards are an opportunity to showcase great work and celebrate a hugely creative and dedicated community.

Find out more:

To contact Camden Safety Net:

Phone: 020 7974 2526

Text: 07814 671 427

Email: camdensafetynet@camden.gov.uk

To find out more about the signs of domestic abuse and about the ‘know you’re not alone’ campaign, visit camden.gov.uk/know

Today is White Ribbon Day and the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. With 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men affected by domestic abuse in their lifetime, it can happen to anyone, regardless of age, gender identity, sexual orientation or culture.

Domestic abuse doesn’t have to be physical. The abuse can be emotional or psychological, sexual or financial. Domestic abuse can come from a partner, ex-partner or family member.

A healthy and safe relationship isn’t one where you feel afraid, belittled or controlled. If someone makes you feel uncomfortable or you notice that you’re changing your behaviour because you are worried about how the other person will react, it may be a sign that the relationship is unhealthy. If you recognise any of these signs in your relationships, what you are experiencing is not ok and you do not have to accept it. There is help and support available to you from Camden Safety Net.

Supporting Camden staff affected by domestic abuse

To mark White Ribbon Day, this month we have been working with local businesses and organisations to raise awareness of domestic violence and abuse and promote Camden Safety Net.

Businesses across the borough have agreed to share our campaign marketing material by putting it up in staff areas and sharing on their internal communications channels. The posters promote the Camden Safety Net helpline, which is our dedicated advice service for anyone living, working or studying in Camden. We have also offered to work with the businesses to update their internal HR policy and offered internal training.

Organisations involved include the Guardian, the British Library, Simon & Schuster, UCL, the Wellcome Collection, Voluntary Action Camden and The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Local services including the Metropolitan Police, the London Fire Brigade and Camden Clinical Commissioning Group have also supported the campaign by selling ribbons and publicising the campaign.

Camden Safety Net

Tel: 020 7974 2526 Text: 07814 671 427 Email: camdensafetynet@camden.gov.uk

To find out more about Camden Safety Net and the signs of domestic abuse, visit camden.gov.uk/know

Show your support this White Ribbon Day on Twitter or Facebook. Share our posts or add your own using #KnowYoureNotAlone and #wrc25nov

In Camden, we are committed to making sure there is no place for hate in our borough. Although incidents are rare, it’s important that every hate crime is reported.

As well as allowing appropriate action to be taken, reports help us to understand what is happening so we can better respond to issues. By reporting an incident you may also be able to prevent it from happening to someone else.

We know that many people still don’t report hate crimes – perhaps because they feel their experience is too trivial or aren’t sure where to report it. As well as contacting the police and us, if you would feel more comfortable, you can also make a report to one of our third party reporting sites. These are local organisations who we are working with to provide the best possible support to anyone affected by a hate crime.

Whether you have experienced an incident yourself, or witnessed one, make sure you report it. Remember, even if you don’t report a hate crime straightaway, please do report it:

1. Police: 999 (emergencies) or 101 (non-emergencies)

2. Camden Council: 020 7974 4444 or communitysafety@camden.gov.uk

3. Partner organisations: camden.gov.uk/hatecrime

Find out more:

For more details on what classifies as a hate crime, as well as a full list of contacts to report an incident, download our Camden: No place for Hate leaflet.

In Camden we stand together as one community. Camden is no place for hate and we are committed to tackling any negative behaviour that is motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a personal characteristic such as race, religion/faith, sexual orientation, disability or gender identity.

This theme of this year’s Hate Crime Awareness Week (8 to 15 October) is Standing Together – a fitting message for our borough. We are proud of the diversity of people who choose to live, work, study and visit here. As a council we are continually working with our communities at ground level to provide reassurance and assistance, along with working in partnership with the police and local third party organisations to tackle any instances of hate crime promptly. We are dedicated to taking action against anyone committing an offence and providing support to those affected.

Help the community fight hate crime, please report it.

If you see something you think may classify as a hate crime, please report it. Examples of hate crime include verbal abuse, threats, intimidation, physical violence or the posting of hateful words online or out on the street. Even if you don’t report a hate crime straightaway, please do report it. You can make a real difference and may also be able to prevent it from happening to others.

How can I report a hate crime?

1. If someone is in immediate danger, call the police on 999. You can also call the non-emergency helpline 24 hours a day on 101

2. Contact our Community Safety team on 020 7974 4444 or communitysafety@camden.gov.uk  

3. If you’d feel more comfortable, you can also contact one of our third party reporting sites that can offer you support. Visit camden.gov.uk/hatecrime for full details. 

Camden Council’s domestic violence and abuse support service, Camden Safety Net, has been accredited for a second time with the Safelives Leading Lights status. This status is the mark of quality for domestic abuse services and is increasingly being recognised by commissioners and funders across the UK, providing an effective benchmark for supporting victims of severe domestic abuse. The status ensures that people receive the same level of service, regardless of where they are in the country.

Campaigning to raise awareness

The team at Camden Safety Net work with men and women across the borough who have experienced, or are experiencing, domestic abuse and/or sexual violence. With a continued commitment to supporting residents affected by domestic abuse, Camden Council have produced a series of campaigns, which have been highly successful in raising awareness of the service and in encouraging people to seek support.

The current campaign in the award-winning ‘Know’ series, Know you’re not alone, highlights the diversity of both what domestic abuse can look like and who experiences it. The message is that domestic violence and abuse can happen to anyone, regardless of age, gender, sexuality and gender identity.

The Council also work closely with local organisations, including Solace Women’s Aid, Age UK, Bengali women’s charity Hopscotch, London-wide LGBT charity Galop and Camden LGBT Forum, to ensure that residents get the highest standard of care.

Jane*, an ex-service user of Camden Safety Net explains: “Camden Safety Net has helped me in a way I would never have expected. Speaking to someone who was compassionate helped me in a very difficult life situation. Thanks to the service I can now have a safe and peaceful life. Thank you.”

Commitment to tackling domestic abuse

Councillor Jonathan Simpson, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Camden Council, said:

“Tackling domestic abuse and sexual violence remains a high priority for the London Borough of Camden, and our commitment to this is demonstrated by the increase in investment this important area of work is receiving. Having retained the Leading Lights accreditation, Camden Safety Net continues to deliver a high quality service that makes people safer.”

Leading Light accreditations

Camden Safety Net is one of only six local authority organisations in the UK to be accredited, and one of five domestic abuse services in London with this quality mark. There are forty other domestic abuse services in the UK who currently have this accreditation.

Accreditations are reviewed every four years and, after being awarded the status in 2011, Camden Safety Net has again demonstrated its continued commitment to good practice across all areas of its service delivery, including multi-agency working and frontline delivery. Services were re-evaluated by a national external accreditation panel, comprising of domestic abuse sector and quality assurance professionals.

More information

You can find out more about Camden Safety Net and about the 'Know' series of campaigns at camden.gov.uk/know

If you are experiencing domestic abuse, or know someone who is, contact Camden Safety Net on 020 7974 2526 or email camdensafetynet@camden.gov.uk

We have less money to spend on community safety in the future and so we’re proposing to prioritise our reduced resources on support for those who are the most vulnerable and at the highest risk of harm in our communities. We want your views on how we should reshape our community safety service in order to make the biggest impact with the resource available.

If you haven’t already, please complete the survey to have your say. You can find out more and take part at camden.gov.uk/communitysafetyreview.

This year's Pride in London runs from 10 to 26 June, with the main festival taking place this weekend. 

If you're attending the parade this weekend, drop by the stalls being run by Camden LGBT Forum and Galop to find out about the fantastic work they do, and to pick up one of our information cards. 

Pride is a time for the community to come together and celebrate just how far the LGBT* (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community has come in achieving equal rights. Everyone has the right to live with the freedom to be themselves without fear of prejudice or control.

The element of control is present in an overwhelming majority of domestic abuse cases, whether it be physical, sexual, psychological or emotional. Controlling or manipulative behaviour, such as someone using another person’s sexuality or gender identity against them by threatening to reveal this without their permission, is just one sign of emotional domestic abuse.

We are stronger as a community when we look out for each other and we want to let everyone know that they have somewhere to turn when they need support.

Current statistics indicate that 1 in 2 men who identify as gay have experienced domestic abuse in their lifetime, and for women who identify as lesbian or bisexual it is close to the national average of hetrosexuals at 1 in 4. While there are no national statistics for domestic abuse within trans relationships (where one or both partners is transsexual), it is thought to be as high as 80%. With only 35% of abuse cases thought to be reported, we want to get people talking to break the silence that can surround this issue.

If you are experiencing domestic abuse, or are worried that someone you know might be, we can help. Contact Camden Safety Net in confidence for advice and support.

       Phone: 020 974 2526

       Text: 07814 671 427

       Email: camdensafetynet@camden.gov.uk

Find out more:

Follow #KnowYoureNotAlone, our campaign to tackle domestic violence and abuse in Camden, at camden.gov.uk/know, on Twitter and on Facebook

Contact Camden LGBT Forum, a forum run by LGBT people for LGBT people, on 020 7388 5720 or at forum.admin@camdenlgbtforum.org.uk

Contact Galop, the London-wide LGBT anti-violence and abuse charity, on 020 704 2040 or at referrals@galop.org.uk

Contact the National LGBT Domestic Abuse Helpline (formally Broken Rainbow) on 0300 999 5428 or 0800 9995428.

*Please note that we use LGBT to indicate intersex, non-binary, queer and questioning sexualities and all spectrums of gender identities.

This reduction will mean that we cannot continue to deliver services in the same way and we need to rethink the way we provide community safety services. We are proposing to prioritise the use of these reduced resources on areas where we can make the greatest difference, by providing support and interventions for those who are most vulnerable and at the highest risk of harm in our communities. We are proposing these changes because we want to make sure that our available funding continues to have a positive impact for the most vulnerable people in our community.

Have your say

The Community Safety Service Review: Public consultation is now live and will run until Tuesday 12 July at 5pm.

For more information and to take part in the consultation, visit camden.gov.uk/communitysafetyreview.

The Council has reluctantly agreed to reduce the money it spends on community safety and crime reduction services by 25%, after its funding from central Government was cut by almost 50%.

The Council is proposing to invest more money to tackle domestic violence and abuse. One in four women and one in six men in Camden will be subject to domestic violence and abuse in their lifetime. We believe that there is more we can do to ensure victims’ safety.

The Council also proposes to protect the money spent on tackling the inequality of rough sleeping in the borough. Increasing numbers of rough sleepers are based in Camden, by intervening early and offering appropriate services we can prevent long term rough sleeping, help those most in need and build a safe and clean environment for Camden communities.

To achieve the savings the Council is proposing to make changes to our current patrol services and work more effectively with other partner organisations, like the police and community centres.The consultation takes place between Tuesday 17 May and will close at 5pm on Tuesday 12 July.

For more information, or to have your say on the proposals visit camden.gov.uk/communitysafetyreview or contact the Community Safety Service on 020 7974 2915.

Print copies of the consultation will also be available at Camden libraries

Last month our campaign to tackle domestic abuse launched. One aim of the campaign is to get people talking about the issue to continue to break down the silence that can surround it. As a community, talking about what is and isn’t acceptable in a relationship and not tolerating or accepting damaging behaviors, is something we can all do to help.

We know that abusive behaviour, including emotional, psychological, sexual, financial or physical abuse, should never be part of a loving relationship. Knowing the signs to look out for, both in your own relationships, and in those around you, whether it’s a family member, friend or neighbour, is key to tackling domestic abuse and getting help for the people who need it.

If you are concerned that someone you know may be experiencing domestic abuse of any kind, call our confidential support service, Camden Safety Net, to talk in confidence to our friendly advisors.

Thank you for your support

Thank you to everyone who has supported the Know You’re Not Alone campaign so far. Thanks to your help in sharing the video online, the message that there is a safe place to go for support has reached nearly 8K people. You can continue to follow the campaign on Facebook and Twitter and watch the campaign video on YouTube.

Find out more:

If you are experiencing domestic abuse, or know someone who is, contact our dedicated support service, Camden Safety Net:

Phone: 020 7974 2526

Text: 07814 671 427

Email: camdensafetynet@camden.gov.uk

Find out more about Camden Safety Net and the campaign at camden.gov.uk/know

Today at 14.16 we launched a new video as part of our campaign to tackle domestic violence and abuse in Camden. The release time of 14:16 represented the one in four women and one in six men who will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime.

Help us to reach as many people as possible by sharing or retweeting the campaign video from your own social media account, including Twitter and Facebook, using the hashtag #KnowYoureNotAlone

The video directs people to Camden Safety Net, our confidential advice service, which works with victims and families of domestic violence and abuse to provide support.

Domestic abuse isn't just physical. Psychological, sexual, financial and emotional abuse, including controlling and coercive behaviour, are all types of abuse that have devastating effects on people’s lives. Abuse can occur within couples' relationships and within families and extended families too.

People who experience domestic abuse may feel like they are completely alone and that there is no one to turn to. Knowing the signs to look out for, both in your own relationships, and in those around you, whether it’s a family member, friend or neighbour, is key to tackling the abuse and getting help.

While it isn’t possible to depict every relationship or type of abuse, we hope the scenes in this video will continue to break the silence that can surround this issue, to highlight the diversity of what abusive behaviour can look like and who it can happen to, and to get the message out that there is help and support available, whatever the individual situation.

Find out more:

If you are experiencing domestic abuse, or know someone who is, call our confidential advice service, Camden Safety Net, on 020 7974 2526.

For more information about Camden Safety Net and our past campaigns, visit camden.gov.uk/know

Launching at 14:16, the release time represents the one in four women and one in six men who will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime.

The message of the campaign is that domestic abuse can happen to anyone regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation or culture and we have worked with partner organisations and community groups to develop the video’s six scenarios. While it isn’t possible to depict every situation, the campaign aims to highlight the diversity of what abusive behaviour can look like, who it can happen to and where to go for help.

The video directs people to Camden Safety Net, our confidential advice service, which works with victims and families of domestic violence and abuse to provide support, whatever their individual situation.

Although Camden Safety Net receives 250 referrals a month, it is thought that only 35% of domestic abuse incidents are reported, partly due to people feeling too afraid to seek help, or not knowing where to turn. Through this campaign we aim to reach out to as many people as possible to tell them they are not alone, that there is help available.

Help us to tackle domestic abuse in Camden by getting the word out that Camden Safety Net is the place where people can find help and support.

Look out for our video on Twitter and Facebook at 14:16 on Tuesday 12 April and share using the hashtag #KnowYoureNotAlone

Find out more:

If you are experiencing domestic abuse, or know someone who is, call our confidential advice service, Camden Safety Net, on 020 7974 2526.

For more information about Camden Safety Net and our past campaigns, visit camden.gov.uk/know

Following approval at last night’s Cabinet meeting, Camden Council has agreed to issue fixed penalty notices to Pedicab operators who cause Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) in the Borough.

Councillor Jonathan Simpson, Cabinet Member for Community Safety said:

“We know that significant and recurring anti-social behaviour associated with pedicabs is an important issue for our community’s residents and businesses, who have regularly raised their concerns with the Council and the Police.”

The ASB includes noise disturbance late at night or in the early hours of the morning as well as other issues around the use of amplified music, noise generated when touting for business, disturbance caused by people when using pedicabs, dangerous riding, verbal abuse and swearing from operators and customers. The people who use pedicabs at these times are in turn often unknowingly getting into unlicensed vehicles and as a result could be making themselves vulnerable.

Councillor Simpson continued: “Because of ongoing problem and the fact that previous repeated attempts to regulate the pedicab industry have been unsuccessful we invited views about how we should tackle the issue. The responses received showed that the majority supported our proposals to take action.

“Out of 676 responses 69% of respondents had experienced ASB associated with pedicabs and 73% were in support of the proposal to introduce a PSPO to tackle the problem.”

The Council has made use of Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) to address this behaviour in the borough at specific times and in identified locations. If a related PSPO is breached, the result will be punishable through the issuing of a fixed penalty notice to the value of £100 or on summary conviction by a maximum fine of £1000.

Enforcement will be undertaken by police officers and accredited council officers. All prosecutions would be taken forward by the council.

On Saturday 13 February, a group of young Camden volunteers visited local businesses to officially launch them as ‘Safe Havens’ as part of the community safety scheme CitySafe.

CitySafe is a community-led campaign from Citizens UK which focuses on building relationships between young people, the police and local businesses. Eight businesses in Camden Town have now opened their doors to become Safe Havens - places of safety where anyone who feels at risk, vulnerable or in immediate danger can go to seek refuge.

Each Safe Haven can be identified by a purple CitySafe logo in their window. The businesses will receive specialist training and have taken a pledge to work with the police and report 100% of crime and antisocial behaviour.

The eight new Camden Safe Havens can be found at the following locations:

• Office, 210 Camden High Street

• Poundland, 52 Camden High Street

• Eye Contacts Optical, 10 Chalk Farm Road

• Inspiral, 250 Camden High Street

• Book Warehouse, 155 Camden High Street

• Camden Gift, 12 Chalk Farm Road

• Camden News, 227 Camden High Street

• Shop Point, 52 Chalk Farm Road

Attending Saturday’s event were Cabinet Member for Safety, Councillor Jonathan Simpson and Cabinet Member for Young People and Economic Growth Councillor, Georgia Gould, along with representatives from Citizens UK and the Metropolitan Police and staff from the Council.

The Camden businesses join over 600 CitySafe Havens across London.

Find out more:

CitySafe works with thousands of young people and adults in schools, colleges, charities, churches, mosques, synagogues, and community groups. For more information, or if you could offer your business, shop or public building as a place of safety during opening hours, you can find details at citysafe.org.uk

The Council and our partners are hailing this as a success of the No Place for Hate campaign and advocacy work in the borough. For example, race and religious hate crime has increased from 422 to 531 reports compared to the same 12 month period last year.

“This increase in hate crime reporting is not bad news for the borough, in fact, on the contrary it shows our efforts are working,” said Councillor Jonathan Simpson, Cabinet Member for Community Safety.

He continued: “This doesn’t necessarily mean that there is a rise of incidents but that people are more confident in coming forward which is the first step to making Camden a borough which is ‘No Place for Hate’.

“We need to increase reporting to help us eradicate the problems. This has been a priority for Camden and our partners so I’m pleased that we can see the efforts we are making as a community are making a significant impact so that we can take action against the perpetrators of these horrendous crimes and send a strong message about how seriously we take this issue.”

Know where to go: How do I report hate crime?

A hate crime is defined as any criminal offence which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on a personal characteristic such as race, religion/faith, sexual orientation, disability and transgender identity.

A third party reporting system, which piloted in 2014, has made it possible for victims to report a hate crime in Camden to a number of different community organisations where they may feel more comfortable.

If you experience or have experienced a hate crime there is help and support available.

Anyone who experiences hate crime can make a report to the police, or if you do not want to contact the police, you can report race and faith crime to Victim Support in Camden on 020 7336 1766 or via one of the organsiations in our third party reporting scheme. For a full list visit our dedicated page on hate crime.

Members of Camden Parent Council also voiced the animated characters in the two and a half minute film, called What All Parents Should Know, funded and supported by Camden Council as part of an ongoing borough-wide campaign to prevent child sexual exploitation.

The film tells the story of a teenage girl who becomes involved in an unhealthy relationship with a boy at her school who has older friends. The teenager starts cutting herself off from her friends and family, who become worried about her safety and wellbeing.

Child sexual exploitation can take many forms:

• By another young person with whom they have a relationship and who then coerces them into sexual activity with their friends. This can happen within gangs, where a victim is groomed into a relationship then abused by other gang members. This ‘peer on peer’ abuse is the subject of the short film by Camden Parent Council.
• Inappropriate relationships, where a young person is targeted by an older abuser who exploits them by using power and control.
• Organised networks and trafficking by ‘rings’ and other criminal networks.
• Online exploitation, where the young person shares sexual images or videos or is coerced into carrying out sexual acts via web-cam.

Camden Parent Council has previously helped raise awareness about this often ‘hidden’ issue by running a drama workshop for parents called ‘Chelsea’s Choice’ and producing a high-profile poster campaign on buses and in local tube stations. Ofsted inspectors have praised the parents’ work in Camden in a recent report on child sexual exploitation, citing it as ‘good practice’.

Camden Council and Camden Safeguarding Children Board also advise schools and parents about their children’s safety online, while schools have run assemblies to highlight the issue of trafficking.

The new animated film, What All Parents Should Know, was officially launched on 29 September at an event in Camden attended by senior staff from the Council, Camden Safeguarding Children Board, the NSPCC and Barnardo’s, as well as members of Camden Parent Council who worked on the film, Councillor Mason and the Mayor of Camden, Councillor Larraine Revah.

Dominic Clout, the independent chair of Camden Safeguarding Children Board, said: “This is the second phase of a really successful and nationally-recognised campaign by the Parent Council. Their film highlights the importance of us all paying attention to how children and young people are behaving, listening to what they are telling us and of parents never closing the door on their children.”

More information about this issue, and a link to the new film by Camden Parent Council is available at camden.gov.uk/sexualexploitation

Where residents think that child sexual exploitation is happening they can call the Police 101 number and quote ‘Camden Makesafe’ to report their concerns, or call 999 if they think a child or young person is in immediate danger.

You can also report concerns about a child to the Council’s multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH) on 020 7974 3317 (or 020 7974 4444 out of hours).

We know people in Camden are passionate about our borough’s green spaces, and nearly 40% of residents have told us that they rank parks and open spaces as the most important thing in making Camden a good place to live.

We have 75 parks and gardens across the borough, ranging from historic squares to neighbourhood parks and local play spaces. We also manage 323 green spaces around Camden’s housing estates, including play areas and ball courts.

The grounds maintenance service provides the park keepers, static gardeners and playground inspectors for these areas and carries out tasks such as grass cutting, leaf and litter collection, hedge cutting and repairs to play equipment.

The contract for this service costs £2.5 million a year and comes to an end in 2017, presenting a good opportunity to explore how our green spaces could be maintained differently and achieve financial savings.

We are asking residents to help inform our future priorities by completing our online survey which is available at camden.gov.uk/greenspaces

The survey will be online until 30 October 2015. We will then use the feedback to help design the new way of delivering the service which will be presented to the Council’s Cabinet early next year.

Together with our trading standards team, the IMLT will focus on investigating and prosecuting illegal money lenders who operate within our community, to make it a safer place for individuals, families and businesses.

Although there is also no ‘typical’ appearance of an illegal money lender, or ‘loan shark’, which can make them hard to spot, they typically work by getting close to and building up trust with the people they want to take advantage of, offering to lend money when someone is down on their luck or has explored all other options of borrowing. They don’t provide paperwork, because they don’t want any record of their activities and often increase interest rates with no warning once the loan has been accepted. This can lead to a vicious cycle of borrowing more to pay off the original loan and they often threaten violence to get what they want.

If the above sounds familiar, or if you have been offered a deal that seems too good to be true, you may have encountered a loan shark.

There is help available.

You can report a loan shark anonymously to the IMLT. Whether you have borrowed money, know someone who has, or are concerned there is a loan shark operating in your community, get in touch. You and your family will be offered support and protected by the law. Remember, the loan shark is the one who has broken the law, not you.

Get in touch

You can contact the Illegal Money Lending Team 24 hours a day, seven days a week:

• Call the helpline on 0300 555 2222
• Text LOAN SHARK and the lender’s details to 60003
• Email reportaloanshark@stoploansharks.gov.uk
• Follow the IMLT on Twitter @LoanSharkNews or #BeSharkAware

Find out more

Visit the IMLT’s Facebook page or the Stand up to loan sharks page on our website.

We are committed to finding new ways to combat this and are asking residents and businesses for their views on introducing new legal controls in Camden to tackle some of the issues, starting with public urination.

Last year the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 was passed. This made significant changes to the controls available to local authorities, the police and partners in tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB).

The Act introduced Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs). PSPOs allow local authorities to design and introduce new legislation and penalties to tackle a wide range of anti-social behaviours.

The Council is aware of community concerns around public urination in Camden. These are often, but not exclusively, associated with areas where there are a high number of licensed premises.

The Council is considering the introduction of PSPOs in Camden to tackle this problem. Under any new order, police and accredited council officers would be able to issue on-the-spot fines of up to £100, or prosecute those caught urinating or defecating in public.

Cllr Simpson, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, said:

“We are very concerned about the impacts of anti-social behavior such as public urination and understand the problems it causes for communities. Having a PSPO would give us extra powers to tackle problems like this.

“We are about to consult on the use of PSPOs to tackle public urination. We are also considering the use of PSPOs on a range of other issues across the borough including public drinking, nuisance caused by pedi-cab drivers and legal highs such as the mis-use of Nitrous Oxide. We hope to adopt these as soon as we can.”

The public consultation will run from Wednesday 26 August until Sunday 27 September and can be completed online as a survey at consultations.wearecamden.org/culture-environment/pspo or voXup at https://www.voxup.co.uk/pspo

Sadly, thousands of Camden residents are victims of scams every year – yet less than 5% report them. Our trading standards team can not only provide advice and support, but can also help to stop scams spreading.

In this article we hope to provide some practical advice to help you be more scams aware and protect yourself from falling victim to fraudsters.

What is a scam?

Scams can come in many forms, from doorstep double glazing sales, to online investment offers.

You could be targeted by someone impersonating your bank to collect bank details, or by bogus companies offering computer services.

Online, you might encounter fake job adverts, offers for goods and services, or emails about winning a prize draw you haven’t entered.

Last month, Camden Trading Standards received a number of reports of bogus callers visiting older vulnerable residents and claiming to work for Camden Council.

If you are advised that a cold caller on the phone or your doorstep is from the council, you can check their identity by calling Camden Council on telephone 0207 974 4444.

Spotting a scam

This Scams Awareness Month we’re asking you to take your time to make a decision and get your facts straight - and speak out if you think you may have spotted a scam.

Look out for the following warning signals to help you stay safe

• If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is – be wary
• Did you buy a ticket? If not, you can’t win anything
• You shouldn’t have to pay anything to get a prize
• Contacted out of the blue? Be suspicious
• Resist pressure to make an immediate decision – don’t be rushed
• Ignore job adverts that request money in advance
• Never send money to someone you have never met
• If it doubt, don’t reply. Bin it, delete it, or hang up
• Genuine computer firms do not make unsolicited phone calls to help you fix your computer
• If your bank rings you and you suspect a scam, hang up – then either wait five minutes to clear the line, or use another phone to call your bank
• Your bank will never phone or attend your home to collect cash, your pin, payment card or chequebook if you are a victim of fraud. Nor will they ask you to transfer money to a new account for fraud reasons.

You can avoid unwanted calls by registering your phone and mobile number with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS). 38% of scams use phone calls or texts to target consumers. Visit their website at tpsonline.org.uk or phone them on 0845 070 0707.

Reporting a scam

If you think you have identified a scam – report it.

You may or may not be able to get your money back, but you could prevent others from being targeted.

• Report the scam to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or at actionfraud.org.uk
• Contact your bank if you have paid for goods or services by credit card or debit card. You may be able to ask for a chargeback.
• Get advice and report to Trading Standards through the Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 04 05 06 or at adviceguide.co.uk

Find out more

Visit the Citizens Advice website.

National research suggests around 60% of hate crimes are not reported to the police, and in Camden hate crime reports have decreased by 35% over the past four years.

In January and December Camden asked residents about their experiences of hate crime to understand what potential barriers there might be to reporting, as well as how to provide better support to victims.

We received 136 responses to the survey in total. Over half of online survey participants identified that hate crime is motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a personal characteristic, such as actual or perceived race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or gender identity. However, of those participants responding to the survey via our community researchers, this figure was much lower. Around three quarters of those people did not understand the term ‘hate crime’.

Most residents who identified themselves as having certain personal characteristics had experienced a hate crime in their lives, including all those who identified themselves as LGBT, and the majority who considered themselves to have a disability or identified as Muslim or Jewish.

We have been working with frontline staff from organisations across Camden to develop joined up solutions to tackle hate crime and we have developed a panel that meets with the police, mainstream and specialist agencies to address high-risk cases.

Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Packer, Metropolitan Police Service, said:

“Camden Police has a community safety unit staffed with specially trained detectives to ensure victims get the best care, cases are built and perpetrators are prosecuted.”

ENDS

Residents who would like to speak to someone about hate crime can call the police to make a report on 101 or 999, or contact one of the following organisations who can make an anonymous report on their behalf:

Camden Community Safety Servicecamden.gov.uk/communitysafety020 7974 4444

Camden Safety Net020 7974 2526

Camden LGBT Forumcamdenlgbtforum.org.uk020 7388 5720

Camden People Firstcamdenpeoplefirst.org.uk020 7388 2007

Hopscotch Asian Women’s Centrehopscotchawc.org.uk020 7388 8198

Queen’s Crescent Community Associationqcca.org.uk020 7267 6635