Nick recently visited Probation Services staff in Woolwich to discuss public protection in the borough.

Nick was taken on a tour of the premises and met with members of staff to discuss the service’s performance. The meeting included a discussion of how the Probation Service is improving its links with other agencies throughout the borough, such as mental-health charity MIND and the Violent & Organised Crime Unit, which was set up in early 2008 with funding from the MET and Greenwich Council to enable experienced detectives to tackle youth crime and violent crime.

Nick says: ‘The Probation Service plays an extremely important role in ensuring the safety of the community. My visit today was a follow-up to the questions I raised about shortfalls in the service following the tragic murder of two French students in Lewisham last June. I was pleased to hear about comprehensive rehabilitation programmes in place to support ex-offenders and help them overcome alcohol and drugs-related problems that sadly often accompany crime. I will be keeping in close contact with the Probation Service to ensure that it continues to work with organisations within the borough to help fight crime and keep re-offending down’.