Author: Johanna Kaschke

Service up-date

We are very pleased and excited to inform you about an important change in our service provision.

The Tower Hamlets Neighbourhood Watch Association (THNWA) will be servicing both Ourwatch and OWL registered users for Neighbourhood Watch.

We are all Neighbours.

Wherever you are registered on either service or both, you are able to join the Tower Hamlets Neighbourhood Watch Association as member with full voting rights by completing this form.

There are differences in both Neighbourhood Watch systems, but it is entirely your choice, which one you use and feel comfortable with. A lot of people use both.

Important differences:

Ourwatch	OWL

Neighbourhood Watch Network, serviced by Neighbourhood Alert, VISAV	Met Police, serviced by Direct Path
In Tower Hamlets Police do not use the system	In Tower Hamlets Police use the system
Service users nationwide 3 1/2 Million	used by ca 12 local councils with probably 100.000 users
Create Neighbourhood Watch schemes by creating a map of the area of your choice, this can be several blocks, a street or one tower block for example	You must join the Watch scheme available within your post code if there is one
your mapped scheme can be found and joined by locals online	there is no mapped scheme to view online, your registration allocates you to a local post code restricted scheme
unlimited cloud storage and ability to send and receive emails to/from members who can join even from a wider area	restricted communications ability to within local area only
National crime prevention alerts sent by users like Action Fraud, Get Safe Online, Ourwatch, ((Councils, Police, PCC (if subscribed))	Police crime alerts often within the local SNT Ward newsletter
Volunteer run system monitored by the National Neighbourhood Watch Network	Police run system monitored by Tower Hamlets Police
users can join our BCU Police messages WhatsApp Group	Users can join our BCU Police message WhatsApp group
Volunteers welcome to join as Police community volunteers and SNT Ward Panels	Users get direct SNT Ward Panel invites from local SNT teams
Provides regular training of volunteers, a knowledge hub and free public liability insurance for volunteers	no training other than if members join Met Police volunteers but can apply to join the knowledge hub.

Whichever system you choose for running your local Neighbourhood Watch, you will be entitled to use our Street watch signs, to be attached to lamp posts. To be accepted as watch coordinator follow the steps as described here.

Our street watch signs, size 400 x 600 mm kindly donated by Tower Hamlets Council. You will only be able to get these signs through us.

Hazardous e-bikes and scooters

Residents are experiencing problems with pavements and paths being blocked by abandoned e-bikes and scooters. These are particularly hazardous for the elderly, infirm, wheelchair users and parents with prams.

This is what Dr Farrelly from the Wapping Group Practice had to say:

“Dr Farrelly senior partner at Wapping Group Practice recognises that the hire bicycles that are abandoned on Wapping streets pose a hazard to our patients. Especially, to our elderly and vulnerable groups, wheelchair users and parents with prams or young children, who are forced into the road to avoid them. I am equally concerned for any visually impaired patients for whom these unexpected obstacles create a major road safety issue.”

If you witness an e-bike or e-scooter blocking a pavement then please report to:

highwaysenforcement@towerhamlets.gov.uk

Your report should include:

Bike/scooter hire company name.
Bike/scooter identification if available.
A precise location. Example ‘Corner of Wapping High Street and Knighten Street’ or ‘Outside 144 Wapping High Street.’
A description of the obstruction or hazard it is causing.

Please share with friends, family and local residents.

St Katharine and Wapping Safer Neighbourhood Ward Panel (a non-political Group of Volunteers, working with the Police, Local Authority and Residents to make the Ward a Safer Place in which to live and work)

St Katharine & Wapping Safer Neighbourhood Panel website: www.skw-wardpanel.org

VAWG conference

London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Violence against Women & Girls (VAWG) & Hate Crime (HC) Team will be holding a conference on ‘Bringing Perpetrators to Justice’ on Thursday 1st December 2022 from 1 – 4pm. This event will be at Raines House, Raine St, London E1W 3AU. This will be a public event and participants are invited to sign up to the event here.

The conference is for residents and the community of Tower Hamlets and the aim is to increase awareness and understanding of how Tower Hamlets council are aiming to ‘bring perpetrators to justice’, which is a key priority within the LBTH VAWG Strategy. On the day, you will hear from expert speakers on:

• Policing VAWG

• Changing perpetrator behaviours within the Positive Change Programme

• Multi-agency support and the risk management processes undertaken to manage young people being sexually/criminally exploited

• Prevent & VAWG

• Monitoring and enforcement against massage parlours and sexual entertainment venues exploiting women and girls

• Understanding and challenging ‘harmful practices’ and raising community awareness on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

• Designing pathways out of prostitution

• Hospital Community Navigation Services and the processes undertaken from A & E to community

• How courts respond to domestic abuse

There will also be an opportunity for attendees to ask panel members questions.

The conference is aimed at and relevant to all Tower Hamlets residents and members of the community and in bringing together these speakers, participants will be able to deepen their understanding of topical issues in the VAWG arena from multiple perspectives. This will enable participants to obtain a combined and current overview of both policy and practice.

Lest not forget

Remembrance Sunday 2022

This year it’s the 13. November 2022.

In Tower Hamlets the following locations have Remembrance Services:

Bethnal Green Gardens – Library
The Garden of Remembrance -Tower Hill (by invitation only)
The War Memorial, TH Cemetery Park
Christ Church, Isle of Dogs
St. Luke’s, Millwall
St. Anne’s, Limehouse
St. George’s, The Highway
Memorial Gardens, Millwall

see details on council website.

Fireworks safety

Everyone should be able to enjoy fireworks safely, whether at an organised display or in their back garden. Here you’ll find out the law around using fireworks as well as how to stay safe, and report those using fireworks in a dangerous or threatening way.

https://www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/asb/asb/antisocial-behaviour/fireworks/

Fireworks and the law

What time can fireworks be used?

Fireworks can be used in the UK any time from 7am to 11pm.

Exceptions are:

Bonfire night: 7am to midnight
New Year’s Eve, Diwali and Chinese New Year: 7am to 1am the following day

Who can use fireworks?

According to The Fireworks Regulations 2004 and The Pyrotechnic Articles (Safety) Regulations 2015:

anyone over 18 can buy, carry or use category one, two and three fireworks
anyone over 16 can only buy, carry or use category one fireworks
anyone over 12 can buy Christmas crackers
only licensed professionals can buy, carry and use category 4 fireworks
unless part of an organised event by licensed professionals, fireworks cannot be used on the street or in a public place
it’s an offence to throw or set off any firework (including sparklers and category 1 fireworks) in or into any highway, street, thoroughfare or public space

Categories of fireworks

category one: ‘Throwdown fireworks’ including firecrackers, bangers and party poppers
categories two and three: ‘Adult fireworks’ available in shops
category four: Professional display fireworks available from specialist suppliers

Open evening

you are cordially invited to join us for a Networking and enquiry evening to talk about any questions or ideas you may have about Neighbourhood Watch.

Clear up those misconceptions, ask how we can help your local community or how you can improve your existing watch scheme. We bring people together and enable stronger communities. We include Met Police Volunteer Skills and train and insure our coordinators. See our new Neighbourhood Watch sign below.

Typical questions include,

· what platforms do we use

· which apps do we recommend

· what crime prevention messages do we distribute

· how do we link up with Ward Panels?

· How do you become a Met Volunteer?

· How can a Neighbourhood Watch scheme help my community?

any other questions welcome.

Just come along to meet us and have a drink and light refreshment. Please feel free to bring and share.

Date: Friday, 28. October 2022

Venue: The Glasshouse Community Centre, 161 Old Ford Road, London E2 9QB

Map enclosed