A new Community Crime Commission (CCC) has been launched in Redbridge with the aim of tackling residents’ crime concerns.

The 16-person commission consists of residents alongside experts in policing, education and youth work.

It will meet regularly throughout the summer, hearing evidence from residents about the impact of crime and gather insight from research into five priority issues.

The commission, which is chaired by Dr Javed Khan OBE, chief executive of Redbridge-based children’s charity Barnardo’s, will generate a set of recommendations to present to Redbridge Council's cabinet later this year.

Dr Khan said: “It is a huge honour to lead the very first Community Crime Commission in Redbridge.

"I’m convinced that tackling crime can only be done successfully if communities are directly involved, with local people having a huge role to play alongside the council, police, health services and other service providers.

“The CCC is an opportunity for us to bring all those voices together, to create innovative solutions that make a lasting difference and our communities safer for everyone.”

These commission’s priorities – domestic violence, drugs and violence, violence against women and girls, anti-social behaviour and burglary – were chosen using data from a public consultation in which more than 3,000 residents shared their concerns about crime.

A panel of 60 volunteers – the Community Voice – will run alongside the CCC with the aim of representing the views of local people to the group.

Council leader Cllr Jas Athwal said: “The Community Crime Commission is a key part of our commitment to tackling crime across Redbridge.

“We want to listen to local people, experts and the police to shape a Redbridge approach to resolving crime, making our borough safer for everyone.

“I’d like to send my personal thanks to everyone who took the time to share their experiences and ideas in our incredibly successful crime consultation earlier this year which has directly fed into the Community Crime Commission priorities.

“The CCC, led by the brilliant Dr Javed Khan and an incredibly talented panel of experts, will empower local communities to play a lead role in how we tackle crime across the borough.”