Richmond Park News: 22 June 2021

MEETING WITH MET POLICE ABOUT LOCAL CRIME

Last week I met with the Chief Superintendent Lis Chapple, Commander of the Metropolitan Police's Southwest London Borough Command Unit. We spoke about the ongoing investigations into a number of crimes in and around my constituency. We also talked about anti-social behaviour and what the police could do to help keep the peace in our communities.

I relayed to CS Chapple the frustration of some of my constituents with methods for reporting crime and antisocial behaviour to the police. She asked me to urge my constituents to persevere in reporting crimes and antisocial behaviour directly to the police and not just posting on social media. It may seem like there is no point in reporting it, but without a clear picture of what is happening in each area the police can't allocate resources to address chronic or rising problems.

If there is a crime in progress, someone is in danger or you are witnessing antisocial behaviour, please do use 999 to contact the police. For other crimes, such as an overnight bike theft or fly tipping please use 101 or the online reporting form here. Even if they don't come out to the scene right away your information will help the police plan better policing in our towns.

You can also find your local Met Police Safer Neighbourhoods Team here. You can take general concerns about neighbourhood issues to them.

RICHMOND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BRIEFING

Last week I also had the pleasure of speaking to members of the RIchmond Chamber of Commerce at a business briefing. Business leaders told me that while the high street grew in importance during lockdown, hospitality and travel businesses are still struggling. I promised to push the Government for more clarity on their criteria for easing restrictions so businesses can plan better.

We talked about Transport for London's funding package, about which I have significant concerns. We need to support sustainable travel by committing to longer term funding, with due consideration for the impact of the Hammersmith Bridge closure.

We also discussed the COP26 summit and shared the hope that the Government will grasp the opportunities it offers. We need to address the carbon footprint of transport, but there are other steps we need to take as well. For example we need to reduce CO2 emissions from home heating by supporting the replacement of gas boilers.

We also talked about the creative industries, and the concerns of many professionals working in this key sector that young people will be put off starting a career in the arts by the failure to support arts subjects at school and university. Britain is a creative arts powerhouse and we must not jeopardise this important industry with short-sighted austerity measures.