A neighbourhood meeting was organized by Councillor John Martin to discuss local issues in the Norwood Green ward area.

The Safer Neighbourhood policing team were there to discuss crime and anti-social behaviour issues across the ward. The meeting took place on Monday 12th June 7pm in the garden of The Plough.

A local resident said that the key message he took away from the gathering was the importance of reporting any issues or problems, no matter how minor, in order to secure improved resources for our community.

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The Police are understaffed and the current police resources are focused on Ealing Broadway as they complain more. Apparently, Southall under reports. [Do we give up too easily, when nothing is done about something?]

The next point was that Southall is heavily affected by drug-related issues to such an extent that the Police are overwhelmed and unable to respond to every single incident.

However, they emphasized the significance of continued reporting, explaining that if Southall consistently shows up as a hotbed of reported incidents on the heat map, it will help justify the allocation of additional Police resources to address the situation.

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A resident raised a question challenging their practice of merely escorting individuals instead of making arrests. In response, they explained that the arrest process involves significant paperwork, which ties up their officers and limits their ability to respond promptly to other incidents.

He also pointed out that Southall has been grappling with drug-related issues consistently since his school days in 1981, which amounts to 42 years ago.

He further highlighted the well-known perception that Southall is known as a hub for drug activities. He emphasized that if the general public is aware of this fact, then it stands to reason that the police are also aware and should take appropriate action by conducting thorough investigations.

Once again, the Police reiterated that due to limited resources they are only apprehending low-level drug dealers rather than the high-level "big fish" dealers. That is down to other Police units and the local team passing information over to them.

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The meeting became heated, with residents from various parts of the ward, particularly those from Norwood Green, expressing their deep dissatisfaction.

"I can’t blame the residents for being so passionate about the area they live in. I am with them all the way."

Another resident added "Despite the apparent negativity, there are people out there that want to help … so engaging is key. Therefore, active engagement and reporting of all issues remain crucial. Those that shout loudest get the most attention."

He further added "It’s a very real concern that more councillors an deople don’t engage and lead the community more."