Extra police officers to help residents feel safe in Wood Green

Wood Green is to benefit from a new team of 24 police officers to help residents feel safe in the town centre.

The unit will be one of the first to be rolled out under a new Metropolitan Police initiative to increase police presence and visibility, with 650 additional officers set to be deployed across the capital in busy public places and other areas, including those where women and girls often feel unsafe.

The new team will consist of one Inspector, three sergeants and 21 police constables, who will work exclusively in Wood Green town centre.

These extra officers will patrol at the times that will have the most impact on crime as well as on public safety, such as in the evenings. They are expected to start work on 6th December 2021.

Wood Green will be one of two locations covered by the Met’s North Area BCU to benefit from one of these teams, the other being Edmonton in the London Borough of Enfield.

The decision was led by data and intelligence which considers locations that generate the most policing demand, areas with higher crime levels and/or areas where confidence in the police is low.

This is part of a wider partnership to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour in the Wood Green area.

Cllr Peray Ahmet, Leader of Haringey Council, said: “The safety of our residents is always our number one priority. No one should have to feel unsafe when they’re out and about in our borough.

“Extra police patrols are just one of the ways that we are working with our partners to help make our public spaces safer for everyone, especially women and girls. It’s great to see the Met investing in in community-focused initiatives like this and hopefully this will have a real positive impact on residents and businesses in Wood Green.”

Met Police Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave, said: “Our growth enables us to increase our presence in busy neighbourhoods and town centres and be even more focused on protecting people and solving the long-term crime and anti-social behaviour issues we know people care about most – like violent crime, and violence and harassment committed against women and girls. Local policing is at the heart of everything we do and we know that we are so much more effective if we are in communities and neighbourhoods, working side-by-side with all Londoners, listening and engaging with them, tackling the issues that make them feel unsafe. We want communities to regularly see and get to know their local officers, so that they trust and have confidence in them, knowing they are there to protect and keep them safe.”