Operation Broad Oak: The Work Continues

Operation Broad Oak: The Work Continues

Dear residents,

As Operation Broad Oak continues throughout September, I wanted to provide a further update on the work taking place across Acton, the progress made so far, and our priorities for the months ahead.

Firstly, thank you to everyone who continues to report antisocial behaviour and other concerns to us. These reports are extremely important. They help us understand where problems are occurring, identify changes in patterns of behaviour and ensure that our patrols and operational activity are directed to the right places and at the right times.

It has also been a pleasure to meet so many residents, businesses and community stakeholders over recent weeks to discuss Operation Broad Oak and the work being undertaken by police and our partners. Some of these conversations have taken place through formal meetings and community groups, while others have simply happened while officers have been out on patrol. That direct contact with local residents is at the heart of neighbourhood policing.

Why will Operation Broad Oak take time?

We know that residents understandably want to see improvements as quickly as possible, and we have received a number of questions about the pace of the operation and the results achieved so far.

Operation Broad Oak is a long-term partnership approach based on the Clear, Hold, Build methodology. It was never intended to be a short-term or enforcement-only response.

Many of the issues we are seeking to address are complex and longstanding, including antisocial behaviour associated with Class A drug dependency. Enforcement has an important role to play, but arresting individuals alone will not provide a sustainable solution.

During the current Clear phase, officers are identifying those causing the greatest harm and using a range of powers, including Community Protection Warnings (CPWs), Community Protection Notices (CPNs) and, where appropriate, Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBOs). Persistent offenders can progress through these enforcement measures if their behaviour continues.

At the same time, referrals are made to relevant support services to try to address underlying issues, including addiction, and provide individuals with an opportunity to change their behaviour.

Alongside this work, extensive partnership planning is taking place to consider how physical improvements to problem locations can reduce opportunities for crime and antisocial behaviour and help communities make better use of their public spaces.

These different strands need to work together if we are to achieve meaningful and lasting change.

Enforcement activity so far

Since Operation Broad Oak began, local officers have:

These figures do not capture all of the policing activity taking place.

For example, residents may have recently seen information about the arrest of a man suspected of drug dealing near Woodlands Park by officers from the Hanger Hill Safer Neighbourhoods Team. This followed intelligence sharing between local policing teams and partners. The man was stopped and found in possession of 47 wraps of suspected drugs. He was subsequently charged with possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and remanded to appear at court.

During September alone, officers are expected to have dedicated 31 shifts specifically to Operation Broad Oak activity. This includes officers volunteering to work overtime on rest days, adjusting their normal shifts to provide coverage later in the evening, and completing the case files and administrative work required to support enforcement action.

This is being delivered alongside officers' wider neighbourhood policing responsibilities across Acton and Ealing.

What happens next?

From a policing perspective, targeted enforcement and disruption will continue as part of the Clear phase.

As we move towards autumn and winter, we will also monitor whether earlier evenings and changing weather affect when and where antisocial behaviour occurs. Our patrols and tasking will be adjusted in response to the intelligence and reports we receive.

This is why timely and specific reporting from residents remains so important. Information about locations, times, descriptions and recurring patterns helps us develop a much clearer picture and target our resources more effectively.

Improving The Mount and Woodlands Park

Work with our council, community and business partners is continuing alongside police enforcement.

For The Mount, discussions around potential environmental improvements are progressing, including the more complex issues of land ownership, responsibility and funding. Delivering lasting physical changes to an area requires research, consultation and agreement between a number of organisations, so unfortunately these improvements cannot always happen as quickly as we would like.

Similar work is progressing at Woodlands Park.

We are currently planning a joint action day involving police, Ealing Council and Greener Ealing. The intention is to bring partners together for a coordinated clean-up of the park, support the planned improvement works around the pond and provide a highly visible multi-agency presence.

Longer-term discussions are also taking place around potential improvements such as access and gating, CCTV and other community-led initiatives designed to make the park a safer and more welcoming space for everyone.

These measures are an important part of preparing for the longer-term Hold and Build phases of Operation Broad Oak.

Encouraging signs, but more work to do

Reported antisocial behaviour across Acton has continued to show a downward trend since June. This is encouraging and provides an indication that the combined efforts of officers, partners and residents are having an impact.

However, statistics only tell part of the story. We fully recognise that antisocial behaviour and drug-related activity continue to affect residents in some locations, and a reduction in overall reports does not mean that the problem has been resolved.

There remains a considerable amount of work ahead.

Operation Broad Oak is ultimately about achieving sustained, long-term improvement, rather than simply moving a problem from one location to another or providing a temporary reduction in offending.

Thank you again to everyone who continues to engage with us, report incidents and provide information. Community intelligence remains vital in helping us identify those responsible, understand where problems are occurring and direct our resources effectively.

We remain committed to working alongside residents, businesses, Ealing Council and our other partners to tackle the issues affecting Acton and make our shared public spaces safer and more welcoming for everyone.

Best wishes, 

George