• Question by: Nicky Gavron
• Meeting date: 19 November 2003

I wondered if you would join me and support me in making representations to the Commissioner to encourage consideration of two pilot areas in Haringey. Haringey, as you know, has very challenging issues to face in dealing with crime and anti-social behaviour and I want to put forward with your support two pilot neighbourhoods, White Hart Lane and Crouch End. So, I am asking if you will support those for Step Change in Haringey?

• Question by: Valerie Shawcross
• Meeting date: 19 November 2003

Yes, I think it can be a problem with Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras reporting to different control centres, for example. Do you support town centre drinking bans? There are quite a lot of district centres and town centres where alcohol abuse heavily contributes to the problem of public nuisance. Do you think we need to have more local-area alcohol strategies?

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 19 November 2003

What about the point about consulting with local communities?

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 19 November 2003

I am sure he will.

• Question by: Diana Johnson
• Meeting date: 19 November 2003

I am just wanting to press you a little further on this because there is this tension with the large number of new recruits coming into the police force and having those people on the frontline, dealing with the public on a day-to-day basis. I just wondered if you have any thoughts about providing additional support, perhaps that we have not had before, to make sure those officers are well supported in the early years.

• Question by: Diana Johnson
• Meeting date: 19 November 2003

I would like to ask a question about the practicalities of this scheme and it has certainly come to my attention that there is a shortage of sergeants in London, who would provide supervision for the officers and the PCSOs in the step-change programme. I just wondered what discussions you have had with stakeholders about how some of the problems with lack of sergeants could be addressed, through looking at changes to rank structures, for instance, about who is actually supervising officers?

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 19 November 2003

That's a relief! Well that is a start.

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 19 November 2003

There was a move towards bigger, more centralised police stations though and we just have one opening in Lewisham and local police stations are closing as a result. Is that the wrong way forward or do you want to see super police stations for those super boroughs?

• Question by: Valerie Shawcross
• Meeting date: 19 November 2003

If you wanted evidence that the localisation of policing is very effective, you will recall that you did a public meeting in Rotherhithe. In that area, following a local policing plan that was drawn up after that visit and the application of additional police resources and now some PCSOs, there has been a 25% reduction in crime and anti-social behaviour incidents reported. One of the problems that I think we face is there are many areas where there are hotspots of crime and anti-social behaviour, which cross the boundaries. You mentioned Crystal Palace earlier on with five boroughs. We have...

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 19 November 2003

John Stevens has said that he does not want to see any more local police stations closing. Do you think we actually need to re-open local police stations?