Enfield Council backs Love Your Doorstep community patrol

Enfield Council is providing official backing to the Love Your Doorstep community patrol scheme, a volunteer-led initiative that has been working to enhance safety in the borough since 2019. The partnership, announced recently, aims to strengthen the patrol's reach and effectiveness by integrating it more closely with the council's community safety operations.

The Love Your Doorstep patrol was established seven years ago in response to a series of robberies that specifically targeted young people. Its volunteers provide a visible presence in town centres, particularly during afternoons when schoolchildren are travelling home, acting as a deterrent and offering reassurance.

Strengthening Community Safety Efforts

The new agreement sees the not-for-profit social enterprise working directly with Enfield Council's community safety team and CCTV operations. This collaboration follows productive discussions held after the recent local election and change in council administration. Emma Rigby, founder of Love Your Doorstep, who received a British Empire Medal in 2022 for her work with the scheme, described the partnership as a significant step forward.

Representatives from Love Your Doorstep recently visited the council's CCTV control centre to understand how the borough's camera network is monitored and how incidents are handled. This visit highlighted opportunities for closer collaboration between the patrol volunteers and CCTV teams, particularly in sharing information about ongoing incidents witnessed in the community.

The core function of the Enfield Town patrol, with volunteers active after school hours, remains unchanged. However, the partnership is expected to create a more robust support network. A key objective of the collaboration is to expand the volunteer base, encouraging more residents to contribute to community safety efforts.

Council Support for Volunteer Growth

Council leader Alessandro Georgiou emphasised the importance of collective action in making Enfield safer. He stated that the partnership between the community patrol, the council, and other safety partners represents a joined-up approach to crime prevention. The council will utilise its communications channels to support Love Your Doorstep in recruiting new volunteers.

The Love Your Doorstep community patrol initially focused on Enfield Town, a hub for several schools, but has since extended its presence to other town centres across the borough. The scheme currently has more than 200 registered volunteers.

Individuals interested in joining the community patrol do not require prior experience in policing or community safety. Information on how to register an interest is available via email at communitypatrol@loveyourdoorstep.co.uk or on the Love Your Doorstep website.