On 1st March 2025, councillors from Beckenham and Penge attended a Crime Summit at Bromley Civic Centre alongside representatives from Residents Associations and other key stakeholders.
Councillors heard updates from the Borough’s Fire Commander, the Borough’s Superintendent and stakeholders such as Southeastern.
Alongside updates, a highlight of the summit was a fabulous presentation from the National Crime Agency regarding staying safe online. Did you know the password used the most in 2024 was ihearttaylorswift? Attendees received information about staying safe online, such as using complex passwords to ensure hackers cannot so easily obtain password information for email accounts, bank accounts and social media.
A website called https://haveibeenpwned.com was recommended, where you can check if passwords related to your email address have been leaked. It was a brilliant presentation with information relating to how long it can take hackers to hack password information and tips and tricks to ensure your password is complex enough that it will take years for your password to be hacked. If you want more information regarding this, please do contact your local councillor, who will be able to provide slides from the day and a more detailed update.
Another hot topic of the day was speeding. Councillor Gemma Turrell quizzed Superintendent Baldock on provisions on speed checks in the Borough, as in her ward of Shortlands and Park Langley, there have been calls from residents for more speed checks. Superintendent Baldock advised that more officers in the Borough have been trained to conduct speed checks with speed guns, with even more officers due to take up the training in the future to ensure that we have a full complement of officers trained to tackle speeding within the borough.
Councillor Gemma Turrell said of the event:
“I was utterly fascinated by the presentations and wish to thank the Bromley Safer Neighbourhood Board who organised the Crime Summit for hosting a fabulous, well-attended, and informative event.
In this brave new world, learning about staying safe online, alongside the more traditional ways our services are keeping us safe, was vital. I’m also pleased to learn more about police officers being trained to conduct speed checks in the borough as tackling speeding is close to residents in Shortlands & Park Langley hearts alongside myself, Councillor Grant & Councillor Bainbridge’s, so being able to report back to our residents with the good news was a delight!”
If you want more information regarding the Crime Summit, contact your local councillor who will be glad to provide a more detailed commentary of the event.”
