Council leader and police commander commit to tackle crime

Council leader Damian White has met Havering’s new police commander Detective Chief Superintendent Stephen Clayman to talk about their ambitions and priorities to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour in the borough.

Mr Clayman started in the borough last month and is responsible for the Met Police’s East Area, which covers Havering, Barking and Dagenham and Redbridge.

During their meeting, Councillor White and Mr Clayman, who were joined by the Council’s chief executive, Andrew Blake-Herbert, discussed the challenges of policing the borough and laid out the local crime priorities including violence and knife crime.

They also discussed the Council’s plans to invest in additional police officers to tackle antisocial behaviour and enforcement.

Councillor Damian White said: “I am really pleased to welcome our new borough commander and I look forward to working closely with him to improve safety for residents in Havering.

“Whether it is the threat of violent crime, or the concern of antisocial behaviour, we are listening to residents’ concerns. Together with our commitment to put extra police officers on our streets, a strong working relationship with the new borough commander and his dedicated officers is crucial in making Havering an even safer place to live.”

Mr Clayman added: “I am thrilled to be here as the new BCU (Basic Command Unit) Commander for East Area and also working once again in Havering, as I was here earlier in my policing career. It’s important that residents have confidence in the police and see that we are tackling the most important issues. It’s clear we cannot do this alone, so must continue working closely with Havering Council, where the relationship is strong.”

The meeting was the first of regular monthly meetings.