Press Releases
Criminals be warned - there's a new boss now (PR 1145)
Ealing Council has raised the stakes for criminals with the appointment of a new Safer Communities Director.
Susan Parsonage, an established crime fighter, is now in post and plans to make robust changes to make the borough safer.
Susan's portfolio of successes includes establishing an envirocrime prevention service for the Council in 2005. The new service surprised enviro-criminals by improving enforcement and increasing the number of cases taken to court. In 2006-07 Susan's team took sixty-three cases to court, compared to only one the year before.
Her team took a zero-tolerance approach against anyone illegally dumping rubbish in the borough, increasing investigations and prosecutions dramatically in the first year. More than 1,300 investigations were made into litter and flytipping during 2007-08, compared to 447 in 2006-07.
Susan also led a massive operation to rid the Greenford Road of a group of dodgy car salesmen. More than twenty men were fined and had their cars confiscated for blocking the road with their second hand cars, causing misery and disruption to local residents.
Other major achievements for the envirocrime team include:
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significantly reducing the level of graffiti in the borough
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introducing monthly waste carrier checks in February 2007, ensuring waste was not being dumped in the borough
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enabling the removal of thousands of tonnes of waste from private gardens
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significantly reducing flyposting across the borough by targeting flyposter removal and increasing enforcement
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reducing the time taken to remove abandoned vehicles with 95% being investigated within 24 hours of reporting in 2007, compared to 67% in the previous year
Councillor Sue Emment, Cabinet Member for Safer Communities, said: "The Council takes a tough line on crime and anti-social behaviour and we are sure Susan will be successful in helping us achieve our vision of a safer Ealing.
"We are really pleased to welcome Susan to this new post. She brings considerable experience as the former head of envirocrime prevention and we know she will bring lots of knowledge and enthusiasm to this new role."
Susan Parsonage, Director of Safer Communities, said: "I am really excited about tackling the issues head-on and am looking forward to the challenges it will bring.
"I want to focus on priorities and react to the needs of the community quicker. Investigating reports and enforcement will remain at the top of my list because they have already proven to be successful tactics.
"I want residents to play an active role in future planning for community safety and I want to work closely with them to make Ealing a safer place to live and visit."