Councillor Surgeries Suspended For Safety of Library Staff

Chiswick Homefields ward councillor Gerald McGregor on his week

Councillor Gerald McGregor

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This Weekend

Everybody in politics at national and local level will be thinking about the fate of David Amiss killed doing his normal duty to his constituents and by all accounts doing it consistently well. An honourable man who developed strong bonds with his colleagues, opponents in the house, and with people in his seat in Southend West. He had wide experience and will be widely missed for his character, commitment and grace.

Senior Conservatives in Hounslow including Councillors held a one minute silence in his honour before a weekend meeting on Listening to Residents, Policy and Strategic Delivery

Weekly Surgeries Suspended

The Chiswick councillors hold their weekly surgery in Chiswick Public Library on a Saturday morning. There are concerns about the security of library staff and potential hazards to their safety.

On the instructions of the Group Leader, Cllr Gerald McGregor, surgeries have been suspended on a temporary basis.

In their place Library staff will offer surgery visitors the council business cards, with contact telephone numbers, of the councillors who would otherwise have attended at the library.

During Last Week

CONSERVATIVE GROUP WELCOMED BETTER NEWS FROM THE METROPOLITAN POLICE SERVICE

A Full Statement from the conservative group spokesman on Hounslow borough council, Cllr Ranjit Gill:

I welcome the announcement by the West Area BCU Commander, Chief Superintendent Peter Gardner, of an increase in police numbers in Hounslow town centre. The increase will provide additional security and safety for all who live or work in or visit the area and it will provide a deterrent.

Crime, violence against women and girls, and drug dealing are considerable concerns for all of us wherever we are in the borough. We deserve to feel safe when getting on with our lives.

I have also asked the Leader of Hounslow council, Councillor Steve Curran, to return the borough's street lighting levels to full power. Brighter street lighting is well-known to be a deterrent, as the deputy borough commander made absolutely clear at the second public meeting I organised on policing and crime in early 2020. It is vital that we should all feel safer at night whether we are going home, or to and from work, or enjoying our borough's night time economy. There is no doubt that lighting plays an enormous part in that. Acting now to increase street lighting, as the darkness of winter grows, is essential. I urge Councillor Curran to follow this up urgently. He could make the change today.

The government has lived up to its promise of providing us with extra police officers, with the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police announcing an increase of 650 officers across 19 of London's busiest town centres. Hounslow council should act now, too, to protect its residents, workers and visitors.

Ranjit Gill Turnham Green Councillor Representative Crime and Policing

Ongoing Developments

The Leader of the Opposition on Hounslow borough council supports the statement issued by Councillor Gill and reflects on the response by the Police Service to recent events in London concerning the safety of Women and Girls:

The Police Statement from the MET in response to issues raised by the crimes of Wayne Couzens reads broadly as follows:

“Wayne Couzens has been sentenced to a whole-life term for the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard.

The full horrific details of his crimes are deeply concerning and raise entirely legitimate questions. This is the most horrific of crimes, but we recognise this is part of a much bigger and troubling picture.

There have been other horrific murders of women in public spaces, including the killings of sisters Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry, and very recently of Sabina Nessa, a much loved Primary School Teacher. All of these bring into sharp focus our urgent duty to do more to protect women and girls.

Baroness Casey of Blackstock to lead review of Met standards and culture

[Baroness Casey of Blackstock]

Here are some of the measures the Met intend to introduce:

• the appointment of an independent figure  Baroness Casey of Blackstock to conduct a review of Met culture and standards in order to rebuild public trust
• The review will examine our culture and standards of behaviour, and will assess to what extent our current leadership, recruitment, vetting, training, communications and other processes, effectively reinforce the standards the public should expect. The review and its recommendations will be published.
• An urgent examination is also now under way into all current investigations of sexual and domestic abuse allegations against Metropolitan Police Service officers and staff.
• Officers from the Directorate of Professional Standards will review each of these cases, including the individual’s vetting and conduct history, making certain victims are being properly supported, and investigations are absolutely thorough
• a new strategy for tackling violence against women and girls, prioritising action against sexual and violent predatory offenders
• specialist Predatory Offender Units 
• 650 new officers into busy public places , (see above) including those areas where women and girls often lack confidence that they are safe
• more reassurance patrols and an increased police presence in key “hotspot” locations for offences of violence and harassment
• Understanding the concerns of women in London is seen as really important to the Met who are undertaking a range of activity so to better listen and respond.  

Couzens’ crimes are the most extreme example of this betrayal of public trust. They have been shattering for everybody and of course people have questions about the integrity of officers”.

The Statement goes on to say, “We only want the best of the best in the Met and we will always act when our employees fall below the standards we and the public expect and erode the trust we depend upon.

All officers must and will now expect to work harder to gain the confidence of the public and be understanding and tolerant of reasonable questioning of their actions and identity as they go about their duty to protect Londoners. ”

The Conservative Group, always supportive of the law and a well-ordered society, believes that the statement and the actions are but a first step in re-setting the crime agenda and tackling violence against women.

We reflect that as a party of diversity and opportunity we should be supportive of the work being done and being led by Commissioner Cressida Dick, who has recently taken on a two-year extension to her term in office. We believe that she should be capable of delivering the response and support her in her endeavours. We look at a closer liaison in Hounslow in support of Peter Gardner, and the police service in the surrounding areas of suburban West London.

Our spokesman Councillor Ranjit Gill is a councillor in Turnham Green Ward. He will be standing again in the MAY 2022 Election. He is a great and experienced supporter of closer co-operation between the Borough Authorities and the Police and the ultimate task of putting more officers into action in neighbourhoods supporting their communities.

Councillor Gerald McGregor
Conservative Group Leader
Leader of the Opposition London Borough of Hounslow

gerald.mcgregor@hounslow.gov.uk
07866 784821

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Most council meetings are now taking place in person at Hounslow House though a few, such as licensing panel meetings, continue to be held virtually. Even if they are held in person, you can watch them live (or later) on   the council's YouTube channel  . Please check for each committee by looking at the   agenda reports pack for each committee.

The key council meetings coming up are:  

• 19th October: Cabinet
• 21st October:  Ealing Overview and Scrutiny Committee call-in of Fishers Lane
• 9th November: Overview and Scrutiny Committee
• 11th November: Planning Committee
• 16th November: Cabinet
• 30th November: Borough Council
• 31st November: Planning Committee

Chiswick Homefields ward

Cllr Patrick Barr
patrick.barr@hounslow.gov.uk
07976 703263

Cllr Gerald McGregor
gerald.mcgregor@hounslow.gov.uk
07866 784821

Cllr John Todd
john.todd@hounslow.gov.uk
07866 784651

Chiswick Riverside ward

Cllr Michael Denniss
michael.denniss@hounslow.gov.uk
07976 703274

Cllr Gabriella Giles
gabriella.giles@hounslow.gov.uk
07966 270823

Cllr Sam Hearn
sam.hearn@hounslow.gov.uk
07833 376222

Turnham Green ward

Cllr Joanna Biddolph
joanna.biddolph@hounslow.gov.uk
07976 703446

Cllr Ranjit Gill
ranjit.gill@hounslow.gov.uk
07976 702956

Cllr Ron Mushiso
ron.mushiso@hounslow.gov.uk
07976 702887

October 17, 2021