The Team in Green!

Many of you will have noticed our Street Team, walking the streets and popping in and out of the businesses. But what do they do, why do they do it and what benefits do they bring to the Quarter? 

The Street Team is fundamental to our street management and security and resilience work. Part-funded by The Portman Estate, they operate across the whole of the area, seven-days a week, providing street safety reassurance to businesses, their staff, residents and visitors, and a deterrent to anti-social behaviour and crime. They also monitor homelessness and work closely with outreach services through The Passage – our commissioned service that ensures effective support is offered to those sleeping rough. They build relationships with the community, local security managers and street level businesses to work together to address any issues. 

With on-street policing provision sometimes stretched, street teams like ours play an increasingly important role across the capital, acting as the eyes and ears for the Police and Council, gathering critical evidence to support their work so that the relevant authorities can take action against those causing problems. Earlier this year, evidence that had been collected by our Street Team was used to convict a notorious shoplifter in the area.  

In addition to this, the Team monitor the street environment, reporting and following-up on matters such as potholes, broken street lighting, litter and fly tipping, working with the Council as well as our Smarter Recycling waste collection service and our street cleaning provision. If you see the Team on their phones, they are likely to be using their online reporting system to log an issue they have noticed. This ensures that issues are followed up and that maps of the area’s hotspots are generated so that we can target our actions effectively. 

More information about the Street Team, our area management and wider security and resilience programmes can be found here. If you know of any issues that you would like to alert the Street Team to, you can contact them directly here.   

Also, as we head towards the festive period, just a reminder of the need to protect yourself and your belongings: 

• Be aware of your surroundings and only use your phone when it feels safe to, and when you’ve finished using it, put it away. Avoid texting while walking and if you need to make a call, consider going hands-free to prevent thieves from snatching your phone from your hand. 

• Plan your route when travelling to a new destination or venue to avoid needing to check your phone for directions. Appear confident and look like you know where you are going. 

• Be aware of your valuables at all times – keep purses and bags closed, carry them in front of you and avoid hanging them on the back of chairs when in restaurants and cafes.  

• Don’t leave your phone/device or personal belongings unattended, out of your sight, or left on a table. Thieves can strike and be on their way within seconds.  

Our Street Team continues to work closely with staff at restaurants and cafes to inform them of the risks so that they can pass on information to their customers and also gather information to identify hotspots that can be passed on to local Police teams.  In the lead up to Christmas, additional evening and night time patrols have been arranged targeted at areas with hotels and hospitality venues to help deter personal theft and antisocial behaviour. 

Always report a crime to the Police. It ensures they have a more accurate picture of incidents in the area so that their resources can be targeted more effectively.