Sam Townend for Bristol North West

Public Meeting on Policing in Henbury

A public meeting is being held in Henbury on Saturday on policing and in relation to particular problems that there are about anti-social behaviour and crime on Crow Lane.

Sam Townend, Labour’s prospective MP for Bristol North West said:

“I am glad that a meeting is taking place and I intend to attend and hear what residents have to say.  It is clear that Crow Lane has particular problems that need to be dealt with which is one of the reasons why Labour, when it ran the Council, invested considerably more policing resources into the area.

From having just two PCs a couple of years ago, Henbury and Brentry now have a dedicated community policing team consisting of three PCs (including a full-time officer at Henbury School), two PCSOs and, thanks to the then Labour-run Council’s budget decision, opposed by other political parties, a third PCSO from June.

As a result crime in the local area has declined, but there appears to be a hot-spot around Crow Lane. 

Tackling this issue is not, of course, just about policing numbers, but about changing behaviour, which is why there is Government investment going into Henbury youth club this year.  I also know that operationally for the police this particular area is a priority.

I just hope that the Conservatives, who have organised the meeting, do not try to turn it into some party political rally, especially when it is clear that their own spending plans would see £150m shaved off the Home Office budget resulting in the cut of 85 PCs in the local Avon and Somerset policing area.”