Everyone should feel safe in their neighbourhood. That is why Ealing Council has invested heavily in better lighting and more CCTV, visible patrols, tougher enforcement, and safeguarding for those who need it most.

Sharper eyes across the borough

The council’s borough‑wide CCTV network is one of the biggest in west London, with 736 cameras across all 7 towns to help prevent crime, protect vulnerable people and support police investigations.

Operators are trained to spot suspicious behaviour and work closely with police officers to identify and deter predatory behaviour, especially at night.

These cameras, along with better lighting, including 3,100 upgraded LED streetlights, help make public spaces feel safer and easier to move around after dark.

The expansion of the council’s CCTV network was shaped by direct feedback from more than 3,000 women and girls during a public consultation, highlighting where extra surveillance and lighting would make the biggest difference. You can read more about this in a recent Around Ealing article.

Councillor Jasbir Anand, the council’s cabinet member for tackling crime and antisocial behaviour (ASB), said: “Everyone has the right to feel safe in our borough, on our high streets, in our parks, and on the journey home. We’ve invested in lighting, CCTV and visible patrols because they make a real difference today, and we’ll keep working with police, partners and residents to go further still.”

Standing firm against intimidation

The council uses public spaces protection orders (PSPOs) to help tackle ASB in public places. A borough‑wide PSPO was renewed in September 2022 and again in September 2025, following an 8‑week public consultation. It helps officers deal with problems in town centres, parks and housing estates, and makes it clear what behaviour is not acceptable in shared spaces.

In 2024, a separate PSPO in Mattock Lane in Ealing was renewed until 2027 after 97% of the public who voted said they supported it (thousands took part). It creates a safe zone to protect women from harassment when accessing healthcare at a clinic, which has attracted protests from pro-life and pro-choice groups. In January 2025, a protestor was taken to court and fined £7,500 for breaching the PSPO.

Since its introduction, breaches have been extremely rare, and the clinic has reported a return to ‘normality’, while local people have reported an improvement in their quality of life, too.

Visible policing and safer streets

A strong police presence plays a vital role in keeping communities safe. This year has seen an increase in targeted police patrols in Ealing town centre through national Safer Streets initiatives, a government-funded programme to help reduce neighbourhood crime, ASB and violence against women and girls. This has included improved lighting, CCTV and hotspot patrols.

Alongside this, the council has secured more than £1million in grant funding from London’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) and MOPAC for youth work, targeted intervention and violence reduction projects.

This includes:

• £170,000 MyEnds funding for youth engagement in Northolt and Greenford
• £150,000 Robbery Fund supporting deterrence and positive opportunities for young people
• £200,000 VRU Local Crime Prevention Fund for projects reducing exclusions and substance misuse
• £452,937 from MOPAC for 4 years of support to the Women’s Wellness Zone (which helps vulnerable women take part in community life) and other community projects

Recent data shows an 8.3% drop in violent crime with injury, alongside reductions in youth violence and robbery.

Parkguard: reassurance where it matters

The council’s partnership with Parkguard provides an extra layer of protection across the borough’s parks, estates and open spaces. Officers, occasionally supported by trained dogs when the work requires it, work closely with the police to disrupt ASB, deter crime and support vulnerable people.

Parkguard also helps enforce the borough‑wide PSPO. Officers explain the rules to residents and, in the last year? Parkguard has, where necessary, issued 226 fixed penalty notices, while police have issued 248 responding to information provided by Parkguard, with 51 prosecutions for unpaid fines.

The council awarded Parkguard a new 4‑year contract in 2024 and more patrols are now taking place across the borough, with 3,248 carried out last year – a 30% increase – Including 235 joint patrols with police. Their work also supports longer‑term enforcement, such as injunctions and closure orders.

Supporting young people’s safety

Safety also means protecting children and young people. A 2025 borough‑wide survey showed rising emotional distress among pupils, with 21% reporting thoughts of self-harm and 7% experiencing suicidal thoughts daily or often.

To help schools respond, the council funds free suicide‑prevention training through PAPYRUS.

Beth Reynolds, Villiers High School’s deputy headteacher and designated safeguarding lead, said: “This training will help us create a school environment where young people feel safe, listened to and supported.”

Cracking down on bad businesses

Safety includes making sure residents are protected when they shop, eat out or use local services. The council is committed to getting tough on counterfeiters, fraudsters and businesses that break the rules. Underage sales of knives, alcohol and vapes have been a particular priority for enforcement officers, resulting in several prosecutions.

Since 2022, the council has carried out more than 6,000 food safety inspections, leading to more than £500,000 in fines and legal costs for hygiene offences. The council’s trading standards officers have also seized large quantities of unsafe or illegal goods, including 130,000 illicit cigarettes, 75kg of shisha, 30kg of tobacco and more than 25,000 illegal vapes, often with the help of sniffer dogs.

Taking noise complaints seriously

For many people, safety also means peace and quiet in their homes. The council’s noise and nuisance team responds to thousands of complaints every year and carries out investigations when residents experience repeated disruption.

Between 2024 and 2025, the team investigated 2,773 cases and received 12,536 calls reporting nuisance issues across the borough. The service operates 7 days a week, including weekends and most evenings, so officers can gather evidence when problems actually occur.

Their work has included securing legal orders, seizing equipment worth thousands of pounds, and bringing persistent offenders to court.

In one recent case, involving a business, officers visited as late as 2am to gather evidence of antisocial noise – despite the business previously being issued with a ‘noise abatement’ notice. The business was found guilty and fined more than £8,000. Any ongoing noise following the prosecution now counts as a continuing offence, allowing further action to be taken.

Supporting women and girls

Ealing Council is White Ribbon Accredited, joining a global campaign encouraging men and boys to actively challenge behaviours that enable male violence against women and girls. This sits alongside the council’s Safer Ealing work, which includes:

• a consultation with more than 3,000 women and girls about safety, as highlighted above
• £1million investment in safer lighting
• additional CCTV and street safety measures
• new information and reporting pathways through the Safer Ealing website

Keeping you safe

Councillor Anand said: “From strengthened patrols and smarter technology to firm enforcement and early support for young people, Ealing Council is taking decisive action every day to make our borough safer.

“We are investing in the right tools, working closely with residents and partners, and acting swiftly when harm occurs. Our focus is clear: to build a borough where everyone, in every town and on every street, feels protected, respected and confident in their safety.”