Harlow Council is supporting the town’s Community Policing Team (CPT) in its work to prevent violent crime.
As part of the targeted police response, a mobile weapons detector and live facial recognition technology will continue to be used in the coming days in the town centre.
Other technology acquired by the police after the council provided funding for it, a system called OpenGate, has already made an important difference. The system, which is specifically designed to detect dense metal objects, was deployed last weekend and led directly to the discovery of a man carrying a knife.
According to the police, the latest deployment of two live facial recognition vans led to the arrest of a suspect wanted for domestic violence, a community resolution being issued for theft, three stop searches and two pieces of intelligence being submitted.
Local police officers, supported by members of the council’s community safety team, have been carrying out patrols of the town’s hotspot zone, which includes the North and West Gate areas of the town centre, where data indicates there is more likely to be an incident of violent crime.
Progress to cut crime in the town has also been made as part of the ‘Safe to go Stow’ project, which has spearheaded a crackdown on gang activity. A total of 15 individuals are either currently serving prison sentences or have been remanded in custody awaiting trial. The council is one of the project’s delivery partners working to restore pride in The Stow.
One of the six council missions is focused on public protection, so crime prevention is a top priority. Council officers are working with the town’s senior police leadership to develop a community engagement action plan as part of the wider response to violent crime.
Councillor Joel Charles, Cabinet Member for Public Protection, backs the deployment of more high-visibility police patrols and new technology to prevent crime:
“I welcome the ongoing intensive police activity focused on tackling violent crime in Harlow. The council’s community safety team is working in partnership with local police officers to support a robust response.
“Although crime has fallen overall in the town, there is no room for any complacency whatsoever. A more visible police presence in the town is the right approach. It is also encouraging that new technology is being used to help remove dangerous individuals from our streets.
“The council’s long-term ambition is to develop a community engagement action plan with the police to help reinforce the message that anyone carrying out violent crime in Harlow will be caught and subject to the full force of the law.”