Lambeth Labour responds to questions about Brixton’s growing anti social behaviour problem
Local campaign group Action on ASB recently wrote to the Conservatives, Green Party, Liberal Democrats and Labour and asked them to respond to their questions on anti-social behaviour. They were …
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Local campaign group Action on ASB recently wrote to the Conservatives, Green Party, Liberal Democrats and Labour and asked them to respond to their questions on anti-social behaviour.
They were disappointed that only Labour took the time to answer, but with the questionnaire only being sent out on the 23rd April, it does seem rather short notice.
Although Brixton Buzz broadly supports ACTION on ASB!’s mission, we have to say that the unchallenging nature of this format means that Claire Holland’s response pretty much comes over as a party political broadcast.
Here’s the report from ACTION on ASB!,
Ahead of the Lambeth local elections on 7 May, ACTION on ASB!, the Young People’s Movement and Brixton BID invited the four political parties standing candidates in every seat across the borough (Conservatives, Green Party, Liberal Democrats and Labour), to respond to questions on anti-social behaviour. We received a response only from Labour.
No responses were received from the other key parties. The lack of response from others is disappointing, given how important the issue is for Brixton.
This is the response from Cllr Claire Holland, Leader of Lambeth Labour:
ACTION on ASB! asks: Our 2025 survey found that 80% of people living and working in Brixton want action on street drug dealing and use to be a top priority. What actions would you take to reduce street drug dealing and use, including your approach to policing and support services?
We understand that drug addiction is a very visible issue in Lambeth. We share the concerns of local residents and Labour councillors have met with Action on ASB! multiple times to discuss how we can work together to address this problem.
Lambeth operates an on-street engagement team which works five days a week in Brixton to meet people who are using drugs in public spaces, check their wellbeing, and build trust in order to support them into treatment. The team also runs a weekly drop-in at the Ace of Clubs in Clapham, a homelessness day centre.
Between April and September last year, Lambeth’s on-street engagement team:
- carried out 113 shifts;
- met with 123 people 588 times;
- made 278 referrals to health, recovery and support services; and
- found that 53% of those using drugs were homeless, with them being supported to access help and referral into the treatment system.
We also fund the largest amount of inpatient detox beds than any other borough and also have the highest number of people in rehab. Of opiate users in treatment, 93% of them stay on the programme for 12 weeks or longer.
However, we know that more needs to be done, which is why we will increase our drug and alcohol outreach service from five days a week to seven.
We also acknowledge that drug offences need more enforcement locally and are campaigning for greater action from the police.
Last year, Lambeth Labour and Action on ASB! successfully campaigned for the Met Police to increase their presence in Brixton, with the Met now committing to 4 new sergeants and 24 police constables patrolling Brixton Town Centre.
Securing 28 additional police officers following the joint efforts between us and the Brixton community is a great example of how want to continue working together.
We need much more though and we continue our concerted effort, together with the community, for the British Transport Police to recognise their role in preventing dealers using the railways and public transport from coming to Brixton in the first place.
From police data and our outreach data, we know that around half of the people committing these crimes do not live in Lambeth. We are committed to ensuring that we and other agencies tackle criminals entering our borough through greater enforcement on public transport hotspots.
Of course, we know that enforcement is only one part of the issue, and that is why the council has a long-term commitment to being a borough of prevention and tackling the causes of crime. That approach involves treating violence as a public health issue, one where we address underlying causes like poverty, trauma and substance misuse.
In addition to action to address addiction, we know we need to continue working hard to reduce street homelessness too. Lambeth Labour have invested £5 million into tackling rough sleeping, helping more than 200 rough sleepers off the streets in 2025 alone. We are proactive in helping rough sleepers find somewhere to sleep, with outreach workers taking to the streets 7 days a week.
Lambeth Labour’s homelessness prevention services have helped thousands more people keep a roof over their heads. This prevention work is vital, because we know that once people become homeless it gets ever harder to find them somewhere safe to live.
Lambeth recorded a significant 29% reduction in rough sleeping during 2024–25, with 438 individuals identified compared to 681 in the previous year.
We will redouble these efforts over the next four years and coupled with sustained efforts from our Labour Mayor, Sadiq Khan, in City Hall and a Labour government, we can once again end homelessness.
Young People’s Movement asks: As young people, we have already started organising clean-ups, as residents have raised concerns about street litter and neglected public spaces. What practical steps would you take to clean the streets and improve the appearance and upkeep of our borough, and how would you empower people to take greater pride in where they live?
It’s always great to hear examples of local young people making a difference in their communities.
We know how important it is to residents that their neighbourhoods are clean and attractive, and we want to resident to feel pride in their home. We are already taking action – last year alone, the council investigated over 2,000 fly-tipping incidents and took action against offenders – but we are promising to go even further.
Clearing each fly tip costs the council £50 on average, totalling to more than £500,000 a year, money that would be much better spent on parks, youth services, or supporting vulnerable people.
If Lambeth re-elects a Labour administration, we will:
- protect weekly recycling and food waste collections (under the Greens, Bristol City Council tried to implement monthly waste collections);
- introduce free community skip days in every neighbourhood, making it easier for residents to dispose of bulky waste cleanly and safely;
- install more CCTV and take tougher action against fly tippers by increasing on the spot fly-tipping fines to £1,200.
Taking pride in your neighbourhood though is much more than what the council does – it also includes encouraging everyone to responsibility and get involved. We would raise more awareness of the Street Champion programme, where leaders across the borough can get support to keep their local area tidy.
Brixton BID asks: Local businesses in Brixton are being badly affected by ASB, from shoplifting to the intimidation of customers and shopworkers. What will you do to reduce shoplifting and keep shop workers and people safe?
Labour councillors have regularly joined community meetings in Brixton alongside senior council staff to hear local people’s concerns, and to ensure the council plays its enforcement and community support role.
Recognising the importance of this issue and the need for all parties to play their part, we have made it one of our top 3 pledges that if re-elected in May,
Lambeth Labour will bring in new safer streets officers to patrol every neighbourhood, tackling ASB and having full enforcement powers as another step to making everyone feel safer in our communities.
Clearly the police need to lead on tackling the criminal aspects of this, particularly on shoplifting and we will continue to push on this.
We have listened to residents and their concerns that a lack of police officers tasked to the town centre, who can build community relationship and understand where the challenges are, has negatively impacted on them and local businesses in the past.
To address this, last summer, we welcomed the Metropolitan Police’s announcement that 28 extra officers will be put on the beat in Brixton town centre to tackle antisocial behaviour, phone robbery and shoplifting. We will keep pushing the Met hard to make sure they deliver and stick to this, so that we get sustained officer presence in the Town Centre.
Successive previous government’s failure to fund local services has caused some of the situation we are now seeing on our streets and in our town centres.
As mentioned previously, we have worked hard to put public protection officers out every day to deter crime and reassure locals, invest in our CCTV suites to monitor and gather evidence, and employ an on street engagement team to support people with drug-related issues. These services are vital in deterring criminal activity, and we won’t stop there.
We’ve handed out thousands of penalty notices for offences like littering and public urination in Brixton town centre and we carry out regular weapons sweeps and operations against illegal trading.
