Walk through Bromley Town Centre today and you will hear the same concerns, time and time again; rising anti-social behaviour, groups of young people with nowhere to go, and a visible lack of community policing.
These are things both shop workers and parents worry about alike.
And the data backs it up. Anti-social behaviour now makes up over 18% of all reported crime within Bromley, with incidents rising yearly yet not much is being done. This is a growing issue that demands a serious strategic response ASAP!
But the question we should be asking is, why is this happening?
The disappearance of visible policing
For many residents, the most obvious change has been the decline in visible policing. Growing up in the 90’s, we had community police. The ones who knew young people by name, who built trust, those who intervened early. Unfortunately, they have become far less visible.
While there are London-wide efforts to increase police presence in town centres, demand continues to outweigh capacity.
So now we have reactive policing to replace that.
We see dispersal orders, short-term crackdowns, and enforcement measures such as those recently used in Bromley town centre to break up groups of young people. These may provide temporary relief, but do they really solve the root problem?
You cannot police your way out of a lack of opportunity.
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A generation with nowhere to go!
We also need to be honest about what young people in Bromley actually have access to.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, there were:
- More youth clubs.
- More affordable or free activities
- More safe, supervised spaces to socialise
Today, much of that has disappeared.
The result? Young people gather in public spaces, not necessarily because they want to cause trouble, but because there is nowhere else to go.
Even the Bromley Youth Council has highlighted youth anti social behaviour as a key concern, alongside the need for better education, engagement, and prevention strategies.
When young people feel disconnected, unsupported, unmotivated, and bored, problems don’t just appear; they grow.
Campaigning for young people
As a Green Party candidate, I am campaigning hard on this issue because I believe we are failing a generation.
This is not about blaming young people. It is about recognising that when we remove support systems, we create conditions for anti-social behaviour to rise.
If we want safer streets, we must invest in:
- Youth services and community hubs.
- Free and accessible activities.
- Early intervention through schools and local programmes.
- Well funded neighbourhood policing that builds interpersonal relationships, not just enforcement and punishment.
This is not a soft approach. It is a smart one.
Prevention is better than cure as they say, and community is stronger than control.
Why I’m standing for councillor
I am running for local councillor because I don’t believe Bromley has to accept this as the new normal.
We can choose a different path:
- One where young people are supported, not sidelined
- One where town centres feel safe because communities are strong
- One where councils invest in prevention, not just reaction
Bromley is a thriving borough with huge potential to make meaning impact, but if we ignore the needs of our young people, we risk long term consequences that affect everyone.
Safer streets don’t start with enforcement alone. They start with opportunity, investment, and community, and this is what I am fighting for.
