The funding will boost community safety patrols in hotspot areas, with new officers forming dedicated town centre teams in Holborn & Bloomsbury, Camden Town, and Kilburn.
The officers will tackle issues including anti-social behaviour, retail crime, environmental offences and drug activity through increased patrols and rapid response deployments across the borough.
The £1 million investment will bring the total number of community safety enforcement officers to 50 and expand coverage to estates and other parts of the borough where concerns remain.
Officers will issue fines for offences including illegal street trading, littering and public urination and may have expanded authority in Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) zones. The council will also use the funds to install additional CCTV cameras and launch a new Camden Safety Bus.
Cllr Pat Callaghan, Camden Council’s cabinet member for safer communities, said: “Everyone deserves to feel safe at home or out in the community. This investment means we have more than tripled the number of our on-street visible officers over the last two years – who conduct targeted patrols in hotspot areas to steer away criminals and can be quickly deployed to take action and support our residents.
“We know issues such as anti-social behaviour, drug activity and fly-tipping have a serious impact on residents and visitors in Camden, and we’re committed to tackling this and working alongside the police to ensure a safer borough for everyone.”
Cllr Camron Aref-Adib, cabinet member for finance and cost of living, said: “This is a key investment in our budget to keep Camden safe, clean and thriving. We’re prioritising tackling anti-social behaviour, and you’ll see more safety officers out on the streets and rapidly deployable to any area.
“You’ll also see new high-performance equipment keeping our neighbourhoods cleaner, meaning our busiest high streets will be safer, more pleasant and accessible for everyone.”
The funding was agreed at Camden’s annual budget meeting on Monday 2 March, alongside other announcements to make every pound count and deliver the best possible services.
