Entrepreneurs and business owners across Ealing have attended the first breakfast meeting of 2024 of the Ealing Business Club which saw Chief Superintendent Sean Wilson, Borough Commander for the West Area, explain the challenges local police are having in Ealing.
The breakfast meeting on 14 March 2024 was hosted by University of West London (UWL) and took place at its Pillars Restaurant, part of the The London College of Hospitality and Tourism.
More than 80 people attended the event which saw Dr Suresh Gamlath, pro vice-chancellor of UWL welcoming the quests.
Dr Gamlath explained what UWL can offer businesses and the help it provides. He said: “For business we realise that there’s a need for us as a business community to constantly be innovating.We’re not just talking about the local marketplace. We’re competing across the global marketplace. And this is where our research and our expert expertise would be an asset for businesses. In terms of research, we do some world class research, whether it be in biomedical sciences or in food innovation.”
He added: “We’re turning egg shells into flour and we’re turning throw away coffee grains into brownies. And we’re now working on biodegradable plastics and biodegradable packaging. So if you want a tour of the facility we’re very happy to arrange that. We’re doing some world class research and that brings about expertise that you can avail yourself. Many in the business community both locally and regionally have been coming to us and asked me for help in their theories.”
Chief Superintendent Wilson revealed issues impacting Ealing Broadway and the challenges being faced.
“My biggest challenge as the BSU commander is to make sure across such a diverse communities with very different and sometimes often complex needs, that we are able to restore that public confidence. Policing is not easy because policing what we do is policing by consent.
“We work very closely with schools and the youth clubs. It is a very sad fact of today, that the organised crime element to grow the drugs economy, they are targeting the youngsters in the schools to do a lot of their running and dealing for them. Which is what you’ll see in the town centre, which is what you’re seeing outside McDonald’s, which is what you’re seeing in the various issues that we got at the moment.
“Very sadly a couple of days ago we had a homicide just up in Greenford. It will only be a matter of time before that person is caught.
“But I could say hand on heart you can be pretty sure now anything in the public space environment it will be down to two things, drugs related or be somebody’s known to them domestic related. Occasionally it’s mental health related.”
“But we have our fair share, but that is the economic impact of that. That means that I have diverted officers from right across the command into supporting the crime scene and the follow up investigation. The homicide team the work that they’re doing.
“Let’s turn to some statistics. Evening Broadway interestingly accounts for a third of our commercial burglaries across the borough. The Elizabeth Line has been quite dramatic. I suspect all of you will tell me it’s brought business into the area. But at the same time it’s also brought criminality into the area. And having a fast tracking from Heathrow Airport was interesting as well.
“So we’re having to modernise as well. I’ve not quite persuaded the commissioner to say that we need a e-scooters. We are using e-bikes. But we now are starting to experiment with live facial recognition and we’ll be doing an all party policy briefing. That is controversial. But if we’re to keep a step ahead, we must start using that technology. Because I guarantee you if we don’t criminality will and that’s not an if, they are using it already.”
To find out more and join the Ealing Business Club, click here.
