Tower Hamlets Council has said it will recruit 16 more police officers and one sergeant by the summer.

The decision was made to take on more officers following demands from residents, and they will be funded through the council’s budget over a three-year period. These 17 officers are in addition to the 16 that were provided last year.

According to Tower Hamlets Council’s Annual Residents Survey, crime remains the top personal concern for borough residents.

Lutfur Rahman, Mayor of Tower Hamlets said: “To deal with these concerns I am continuing to increase the number of police officers on the streets in Tower Hamlets. This is at a time when boroughs across London are seeing cuts in police numbers.

“The police officers I fund work hand-in glove with my Tower Hamlets Enforcement Officers (THEO’S), who deal with the types of anti-social behaviour that really affect residents’ quality of life, such as street drinking, graffiti, dog fouling and littering.”

Borough Commander Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Rickett said: “Tower Hamlets Police has a successful track record of working in partnership with the council to tackle issues of community safety. This latest initiative highlights the partnership’s continuing commitment to keep Tower Hamlets safe for those who live, work and visit.

“The council-funded police officers will work closely with the council’s THEO’s, who are accredited by the Metropolitan Police and have an impressive track record of stamping out low-level anti-social behaviour in our community.”

The council-funded officers are in addition to those provided for the borough by the Metropolitan Police Service.