Crime Watch: September Roundup

2 October: Each month, we share a snapshot of the community support, crime prevention, and enforcement work happening across the West End. Heart of London works closely with the Met’s Town Centre and West End Police Teams, Westminster City Council’s City Inspectors, Safer Business Network, and our My Local Bobby officers. Together, we remain committed to fostering a safe and welcoming environment for everyone who works, visits, and lives in the area.

 

Nine New Officers for Westminster 

Westminster has recruited nine new police officers dedicated to addressing anti-social behaviour. Funded by the City Council, the officers will work alongside City Inspectors as part of the new Police and Council Tasking Team, focusing on hotspot areas and strengthening visible street presence across the city. 

 

Faster Crime Response Through Data Sharing 

From 6 October 2025, a new streamlined Metropolitan Police Data Sharing Agreement for BIDs and BCRPs will go live, following approval from the MPS Data Protection Lead. 

HOLBA has long advocated for this agreement, which will allow the police to share information more efficiently with local businesses, enabling quicker responses to incidents and stronger collaboration to keep London’s streets safe. 

 

New Met for London: Phase 2 

The Met has launched Community Crime-Fighting Live events to coincide with phase 2 of the New Met for London plan. 

Held across all 32 London boroughs, these sessions allow businesses to raise concerns directly with local policing teams and senior Met leadership. 

 

Pedicab Enforcement Update 

City Inspectors continue to take robust enforcement action against pedicabs while we await final details from TfL on the upcoming licensing scheme. 

At a prosecution hearing on 6 August at Westminster Magistrates Court, four pedicab riders were fined a total of £2,555 for noise nuisance offences. 

Further joint operations with the Met, My Local Bobby, and TfL are planned in the coming months to continue addressing illegal pedicab activity. 

 

Have Your Say: Pedicab Regulations 

TfL has launched its final consultation on new rules to regulate pedicabs in central London. Proposals include: 

• Driver background checks
• Annual vehicle inspections
• Regulated fares
• Noise reduction measures 

The consultation is open until 20 October 2025.