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Police statement on squatting
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Police statement on squatting
Friday 20 January 2012
Statement from Detective Chief Superintendent Sue Williams,
Borough Commander and Chair of the Community Safety
Partnership
The Police and our partners in the Council recognise that
squatting is becoming a problem in the Borough, as well as
nationally. I am aware of the petition handed in to Council, which
shows the strength of residents’ concerns and they are right to
raise the issue.
As Chair of the Redbridge Community Safety Partnership and
Police Borough Commander, I am concerned too because we know
squatting is linked to Anti-Social Behaviour and can cause a great
deal of nuisance and distress to local residents. In some cases
there may also be criminal activities involved, which the Police
would always do their very best to pursue.
What can be done
- Police intervention isn’t always possible because squatting is
a civil matter, nevertheless we are using all the powers available
to the police and its partners in the Council to disrupt
squatters.
- Home owners whose properties have been squatted can get
Possession Orders through the civil courts to evict squatters and
we would advise them to do that.
- They are guaranteed the full support of the Police to ensure
that these Orders are acted upon.
But prevention is always better than a cure. That is why the
Police also support the Council’s moves to bring vacant properties
back into use.
What we are doing
The Police and Local Authority work in partnership, in support
of the community, to deal with all incidents of squatting. For many
months now there has been close dialogue on this issue between
myself and Cllr Shoaib Patel (Cabinet Member for Environment and
Community Safety and member of the Community Safety Partnership
Board), and senior officers within the Community Safety
Partnership. Operationally Police Officers, such as Sergeant
Melanie White, have been working alongside officers from Housing,
Community Safety, StreetScene and Children’s Services.
Safer Neighbourhood Teams
I have issued all my Safer Neighbourhood Teams with a protocol
and guidance, bespoke to Redbridge, on how to deal with squatting.
This includes instructions on local multi-agency working and
contacts. I have also placed advice for residents on the Met.
Police website for Redbridge. Furthermore, incidents of squatting
are reviewed at the weekly Safer Neighbourhood Inspectors’ meeting
and also as part of our Daily Management Meeting each morning and
afternoon.
The Redbridge Community Safety Partnership also notes the
Government’s proposal to make squatting a criminal act. We would
welcome any new powers for the Police and Council that would enable
us to tackle squatting in the Borough.
In the meantime I would like to reassure residents that we are
doing everything within our powers to tackle squatting. We also
welcome the support and actions taken by members of the community
to tackle squatting. I would remind residents not to take the law
into their own hands, but in Redbridge we have seen examples of
communities taking decisive and constructive action to prevent
squatting.
Contact us with information
Anyone with information about squatting or buildings they think
are at risk should contact the Police through their local
Safer Neighbourhood Team or the Council’s empty homes team.
Squatters are not welcome in Redbridge and they should know it.
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