In project’s first year violence against a person with injury is down 11%, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter

Kaya Comer-Schwartz visit to meet those involved in Clear, Hold, Build in Grahame Park in Colindale (credit Barnet Council)

An initiative to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour has been a “success” on an estate in Colindale as anti-social behaviour has reduced 33%.

The ‘Clear, Hold, Build’ strategy involves police arresting suspects and removing them from the area; followed by ‘Hold and Build’, where officers work long-term alongside other local agencies and community groups to ensure issue doesn’t return.

Barnet was the first London borough to trial the scheme, which began 18 months ago at Colindale’s Grahame Park Estate.

Kaya Comer-Schwartz, deputy mayor of London for crime and police, said the estate was chosen as one of the “first sites in the country” to pilot the scheme as it was “blighted by criminals”.

The Metropolitan Police said 300 arrests for a “range of offences” were made in the ‘clear’ phase. In the first year of the project violence against a person with injury is down 11% and without injury by 9%, which has “continued into year two”.

There has been a 33% reduction in anti-social behavior (ASB) calls and a 50% fall in residential and non-residential burglary.

Councillor Sara Conway, chair of the safer communities partnership, which discussed the results last night (Wednesday 16th) at an overview and scrutiny committee, said: “We have come on a journey from a point where it was a really bad situation 18 months ago, to something we can all be proud of.

“I am looking forward to seeing how we can continue to ‘hold’ and ‘build’ here on Grahame Park to achieve further success together.”

Cllr Conway added the scheme had translated into a “very effective, collaborative, innovative, and creative local partnership”.

Highlighting this needed to happen “elsewhere”. She said: “It’s had an impact beyond anything I and very very traumatised communities in Grahame Park over 20 years could ever have imagined and in my own ward of Burnt Oak.

“In Burnt Oak ASB is down 65% in June there was one burglary where this targeted collaborative approach is delivered, it delivers.”

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