CommunitySafe.gov.uk

Dear Residents,

On Monday 19th July 2010 Merton Police commenced Operation Lockdown, a three month burglary initiative which will employ a range of tactics to disrupt burglary, gain intelligence and arrest and convict offenders in identified hotspots across the Borough.

Whilst the number of burglary offences across the Borough remain relatively low, there has been a recent rise in the number of opportunist burglaries where entry has been gained through open windows and unlocked doors. Many of these could be avoided. Residents are reminded to lock doors and windows when they go out, to keep ground floor doors and windows closed and secure when they go to bed and not to leave expensive and valuable items in view of passers by. Simple measures and some extra care will go along way to preventing you from becoming a victim of burglary.

Abbey Ward will receive extra resources throughout the three month period. Do not hesitate to contact Abbey SNT should you require any advice on crime prevention or security marking your possessions. We can be contacted via the main Met Police website, by telephone or by e-mail.

Kind regards,
Emma Gardiner
PS18VW
Abbey SNT
0208 6493584
abbey@met.police.uk

Dear Ms McDonagh,

In response to your letter dated 6th July 2010 (Re: Crime and Anti Social Behaviour at Phipps Bridge).

We pay particular focus to the content of our MPs letters and an audit of our system reveals that we are not in receipt of your earlier letter (dated 1st July 2010). If the matters raised in the letter still require a response please would you be so kind as to re-send a copy and I will ensure I give them it my prompt attention.

Within your letter (6th July) you feel that the ‘the tennis’ is not really the point. I disagree. You are aware that the headline within the Wimbledon Guardian; …‘MP hits out at Mitcham police after shooting and triple stabbing’ within the article you are quoted “Police are more bothered about policing the Wimbledon Championships than the troubled streets of Mitcham the area’s MP has claimed…” Such headlines and supporting comments do little to promote community confidence or reassurance. (I am meeting with the editor and the journalist next week to express my concerns).

I have no doubt you will be able to forward details of the officers who stated that they were - “too busy to help you because of the Wimbledon Championships.” You are absolutely right, and I agree with you, such a message is inappropriate and I am looking for your help to identify and understand who within my command would say something which is so blatantly incorrect. I have made local enquires and no one recalls having had such a conversation.

I am sorry that at the meeting you felt that the impression given by police was that the Mitcham area was a low policing priority, quite the opposite is true. As discussed, my initial assessment of the boroughs deployment and demand profile reveals a substantial amount of our (finite) movable resources are given to the East of the borough. As an MP you will be conscious that as part of the conditions attached to Safer Neighbourhood teams funding arrangements the last government dictated that they should be ring fenced in their designated wards. I have briefed you in relation to my frustrations as to not having been allowed to move this valuable resource around the borough (however see further paragraphs for recent update).

You contend that there was a history of community unease in relation to groups of youths associating in the area and that the community members were concerned about numerous criminal and anti-social acts. The adage “You only know what you know” is a truism in relation to policing. Unless the residents report these issues to police we are unable to build an accurate intelligence picture and take appropriate action. As you are aware under ECHR legislation everybody has the right to associate freely without state interference. Without proper intelligence it is difficult to justify enforcement interventions. I will direct my safer neighbourhood teams to encourage increased reporting in order to give greater justification to future disruption activity.

You feel that ‘if the police had identified that there was a problem and had dealt with ‘the group’ appropriately the stabbings would not have taken place’. I am disappointed that you hold this view. As discussed this incident was spontaneous without any pre-planning. The offender was not known to police in the London area and there was nothing we could have done to prevent the crime from happening. Hindsight is a wonderful gift. When incidents like this happen people are quick to go to the press and it’s easy to blame the police. I readily acknowledge that we are the lead agency in relation to enforcement activity; however the causational factors which lead to criminality are many and varied.

The service (in my opinion) has a disappointing history of failing to respond to unfair criticism when many of the crime related social problems we face today are the result of years of failed parenting, failed education, failed social inclusion policies, ineffective border/integration policies and a distinct lack of investment in diversionary or rehabilitation activity. These failures are the responsibility of many, (including those in government) not just the police.

In this role I have ownership of the borough’s criminal intelligence profile and have a good understanding of those believed to be involved in more serious and organised crime. You are right (and I agree) that whether those intent on crime are members of a gang or otherwise is really a mute point. The more important issue is what is being done about it. I hope that when we next meet I can reassure you that we are trying hard to service the policing needs of the borough (although as discussed due to the legacy of national debt; continuing current operational capability will be an increasing challenge).

You have asked for a copy of the boroughs deployment profile. This is a restricted document as it specifically details both our operational capacity and capability. I will of course share the details with you when we next meet. I can however brief you on Merton’s policing model:

The borough’s operational workforce profile can be split into four main areas Response, Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNT), CID and Operational Support. The Response officers deal with calls from the public and answer calls anywhere within Merton. The CID investigates reported crimes and deal with crime related prisoners, Operational support include the Merton crime squad, the Merton task force and other distinct units (i.e. the Merton sex offenders unit). They are deployed where the intelligence takes them (as stated predominantly in the East of the borough). The SNTs as discussed are rigid in number and are equally distributed (ring fenced in relation to movement) throughout the borough to provide local contact, visibility and reassurance. Apart from the SNT the deployment of resources is intelligence led & reactive to where crime is taking place. You are correct in your view that our ‘demand profile’ reveals that the majority of crime takes place within the East of the borough

It is also worthy of note that Merton is one of the boroughs affected by low crime rates within the MPS. As of last week the MPS had suffered 204918 Crimes so far this financial year. Merton is one of 32 London boroughs and in comparison we experienced 3670 which equates to just 1.8% of all London’s crime. A more strategic view could be that in light of the low Merton crime rate many of the boroughs resources would be better placed in the high crime rate boroughs (Lambeth, Hackney and Southwark etc.). This of course is something I hope to avoid as it is my intention to keep Merton crime levels as low as possible.

In my short time here so far, I have worked hard to understand the demands and constraints associated with delivering effective performance on the borough. Historic and entrenched ways of working will not deliver the performance needed in the new economic environment. In order to justify the retention of our current officer/staff numbers we will need to demonstrate how we can be both dynamic and flexible in meeting policing demands ensuring that we re-focus our activities where the public needs us most.

As you are aware Merton borough consists of twenty wards. We have recently completed comprehensive analysis of the borough in relation to crime mapping. Based on historical annual trends supported by management information and recent up to date intelligence it is clear that 5 wards present a real opportunity to improve our borough crime performance: Abbey, Colliers Wood, Cricket Green, Figges Marsh & Lavender Fields.

Starting Monday 19th July the borough will commence ‘Operation Lockdown’ which will be focused on preventing priority crimes in these 5 wards. A headline for this operation is that I have secured central agreement that I can pilot the concept of SNT staff on the remaining 15 wards providing substantial assistance to the Lockdown wards (although still aligned to their local wards). I am very excited about this opportunity for the borough to demonstrate both dynamism and flexibility as the rest of the MPS watches to see how it will work.

Reading your letter I am obviously delighted that you are committed to, and demonstrate, such a strong desire to ensure that the police provide a good service for all Merton’s communities. I totally share this view. I hope that we will be able to rely on your continued support in the future. As requested I will copy both your letter and this response to the community safe email group for sake of both completeness and closure.

Yours Sincerely

___________________________
Dick Wolfenden
Merton Borough Police Commander

Dear Mr Wolfenden

Re: Crime and Anti Social Behaviour at Phipps Bridge

Thank you for taking the trouble to write to me on 3 July about some comments I made to a journalist who was at the meeting I arranged to help the police reassure local people about policing on the Phipps Bridge estate. I spoke to the journalist after the meeting, after the conversation I had with you, and after the letter of 1 July that I wrote to you expressing my concerns about the meeting, to which I have yet to receive a reply.

The journalist attended the meeting, and he clearly felt that the approach of officers at the meeting was not as good as it could have been. I mentioned, as I did to you, that in my dealings with your officers they had told me that they were rather too busy to help me, due to the Wimbledon Championships. I hope it will be clear to you now that this is a totally inappropriate message to give a local community representative. However, the tennis is not really the point.

My concern was not about the high priority given to the tennis – although I do regularly hear complaints about this – but about the impression that was given at the meeting that Mitcham was a low priority. Although we are all very happy that you have found the suspects involved in the stabbing, more than a hundred residents would not have attended the meeting if they were not concerned about far wider issues. Specifically, they were concerned about numerous criminal and anti-social acts in the area by the same group of young men, including a drive-by shooting, various acts of intimidation, and an assault on a drinker.

As I explained to you on the phone and in my letter of 3 July, the response of officers at the meeting was to argue about the semantics of whether the group committing these acts was a gang or not. However, the truth is that if the police had identified that they were a problem and had dealt with them appropriately, the stabbings would not have taken place. Arguing about semantics was, therefore, seen by people at the meeting as unnecessarily argumentative, and as complacent.

Moving to your point about your recent examination of the Borough’s deployment profile, I would be grateful if you could let me have a copy of this profile. I am pleased that you believe the East of the Borough is as well serviced as the West, and should like confirmation from you that the deployment of resources is linked to the rate of crime in each neighbourhood. As you know, the crime rate in the East is approximately twice the rate of the West, and the rate in Cricket Green is roughly three times greater than in most of Wimbledon. Therefore for you to be satisfied that Mitcham “suffers no detriment in resource allocation”, I assume your figures will show that deployment is roughly three times greater in Phipps Bridge than in the West of the Borough, and roughly double in the rest of my constituency. Can you confirm that this is correct?

Finally, I can assure you I am absolutely determined in my efforts to ensure the police provide good public services for all of Merton’s communities. This is why I arrange regular opportunities for officers to promote their work at events I organise in Mitcham and Morden. Sometimes this is in response to particular crimes, but I have also arranged numerous meetings to introduce residents to their Safer Neighbourhood Teams, or to publicise the police’s ability to help deal with crime and anti-social activities in certain hotspots.

In this spirit, I will be contacting you separately in order to arrange a meeting in the Armfield Crescent area, where residents are worried that gang activity (or something very similar to gang activity) led to a separate shooting incident just over a week ago. It would be really good if the local police service could use this opportunity to show that they desperately care about our local residents and have a proper plan to ensure residents feel safer in their own neighbourhoods.

I hope that this is helpful, and look forward to your reply to this letter and that of 1 July. Since you have copied your correspondence to the Merton Community Safe email group, I am happy for you to circulate this letter to the same recipients on my behalf, or for you to let me have their details in order for me to email them all separately. I will, of course, only use those details for this purpose and not for any other reasons.

Yours sincerely,




Siobhain McDonagh

Dear Ms McDonagh,

I am writing to you in order to express my concern in relation to the quotes apparently attributed to you within Thursday’s (1st July) Wimbledon Guardian: Headline “MP hits out at Mitcham Police after shooting and triple stabbing.”

Within the article you are quoted:- “Do they [the police] care at all? It seems they’re more bothered policing the All England Club than they are about the lives of people in Mitcham. Three people have been stabbed and less than a year earlier; a teenager was seriously injured in a drive-by-shooting. But the police want to argue over the semantics of what gang means.”

First and foremost our efforts are specifically directed at trying to keep ‘all’ Merton residents and those who frequent the borough as safe as possible. As you are aware London can present logistical challenges in relation to policing large and significant events. Over the course of any calendar year this borough will be expected to supply officers to help police these events which are held at various locations off the borough. The All England Tennis Championships are no different and we rely on reciprocal arrangements where significant numbers of external resources from other boroughs are drafted in to assist. The planning and preparation for the event is both thorough, detailed and takes into account the ongoing policing needs of the borough to ensure our day-to-day borough policing commitment is always maintained.

Within the article you make reference to instances of serious assaults which have been committed within your constituency. The police responded quickly and have charged an individual. I have met the victims and the family members who (contrary to the article) feel that Merton police have done a good job. For some time now we have been considering the intelligence picture which informs our deployment of resources. An examination of the borough’s most recent deployment profile reveals that the East (Mitcham) side of the borough is well serviced by deployable proactive resources (extra officers) and suffers no detriment in resource allocation when compared to the West side of the borough (Wimbledon).

I must confess that I am struggling to understand what point you are trying to make in relation to the ‘semantics of gangs’ issue, suffice to say that (no doubt like yourself) I have no time for men of violence. Whether or not individuals are ‘gang’ affiliated, I can assure you that the police are doing what they reasonably can to prevent and detect such instances of serious harm.

Although I am immensely proud of the work that is conducted on a daily basis by the officers on Merton borough, I don’t for one minute think that the police get it right on every occasion and there are always improvements that can be made. Rest assured that (contrary to your comments within the article) we actually do care very much and it’s because we care that irresponsible & sensationalised media coverage such as this can have a significant impact on staff morale.

Finally I welcome the views, challenges (and hopefully) support of other key public officials and hope that we are all united in our efforts to try and provide good public services for all of Merton’s communities.

Yours Sincerely

__________________________________
Dick Wolfenden
Merton Borough Police Commander

DRIVE OUT VEHICLE CRIME

Dear Residents,

Come and get your free ‘Secur-I-Disc’ tamper proof tax disc holder as part of an ongoing campaign to drive out vehicle crime in the Borough. The ‘Secur-I Disc’ tax disc holder prevents the re-use of a tax disc, thereby making it pointless to steal.

Merton Police Crime Prevention Advisor PC Greg HUNT said, "This is our final intervention of the ‘Drive Out Vehicle Crime’ campaign which has been a real success in getting the message out to the public to take valuables with them and to secure their vehicles. We hope the Merton residents will continue in this trend to keep ‘theft from vehicle’ statistics down”. Your local Safer Neighbourhood Teams will continue to run smaller more local crime prevention events within the Community”.

The ‘Secur-I-Disc’ tamper proof tax disc holder are available free of charge at the vehicle crime road shows run by your local Safer Neighbourhood Teams or by contacting your local Safer Neighbourhood Team. For further crime reduction advice contact your local Safer Neighbourhood Team.

For any further information please contact your local Safer Neighbourhood Team via the main Met Police website, by telephone or by e-mail.

Have Your Say on Policing in London

The Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) is consulting on London's policing priorities and is interested in the opinion of people in Abbey ward.

People can take part in the consultation by completing a short questionnaire online (www.mpa.gov.uk/publications/policingplans/haveyoursay/) or calling 020 7202 0063 for a paper copy or telephone questionnaire.

The Have Your Say on Policing in London consultation closes on Friday 26 November 2010.

Thank you in advance for any help you can offer with the consultation.

Kind regards,

Emma Gardiner
PS18VW
Abbey SNT
0208 6493584
abbey@met.police.uk

Dear Residents,

I would like to take this opportunity to inform you of ‘Immobilise’ a company that enables you to create a FREE private and secure portfolio of all your personal property.

The police are asking all residents to log on to www.immobilise.com to register and keep track of all valued possessions or company assets. It's quick and easy to add any of the following: bicycle; camera; mobile phones; sat nav; computer; jewellery/watch; luggage; TV/radio; ipod/MP3; antique/collectable etc.

Also available are luggage tracker; immobivan for caravans, keys tags, enigma tag and chips for tack.

If it is then lost or stolen, use Immobilise to tell law enforcement, your insurer and the second-hand trade to assist in recovering your property and catch the thief.

Benefits of registration:

Immobilise helps UK Police forces to identify the owner of lost & stolen goods thousands of times every day.

Loss & theft updates you make are immediately available to the Police nation-wide.

Combat the sale of stolen property, alert the second-hand trade and the publicly checkable stolen goods database, CheckMEND, if an item goes missing.

Simplify insurance claims and Police reports with certificates of ownership.

Great member offers from the likes of Nokia & other supporters, plus make savings with ImmobiCompare to help support Immobilise.

All these features are unique to Immobilise and provided FREE.

The police also have UV marker pens. If you would like one of theses to mark your valuables with your details, please contact a member of Abbey SNT.

Should you require any further crime prevention advice, please do not hesitate to contact your local Safer Neighbourhood Team.

Kind regards,

Emma Gardiner
PS18VW
Abbey SNT
0208 6493584
abbey@met.police.uk

Dear Residents,

Get your free car air freshener as part of an ongoing campaign to drive out vehicle crime in the Borough.

Merton Police and Safer Merton are handing out free car air fresheners to motorists in the Borough with a crime prevention message written on it. The message on the air freshener is clear - STOP - All valuables have been removed whilst on the other side the message reminding motorists to remove all valuables appears.

Merton Police Crime Reduction Advisor PC Greg HUNT said, "The Partnership is committed to keeping crime low by reducing vehicle crime. Theft from motor vehicle is on the increase and all too often the thief steals property left out on open display in the vehicle.

These air fresheners serve 2 purposes, firstly that all items of value have been removed from the vehicle whilst secondly acting as a reminder to remove items of value from the vehicle. Taking a few seconds to remove any valuables from your vehicle may save you hundreds of pounds in repairing a broken window and replacing your valuables.

This runs alongside the vulnerable vehicle scheme already being run by your Safer Neighbourhood Teams. If officers out on patrol discover something of value left out on open display in a vehicle they will contact the registered keeper and warn them of the likelihood of returning to their vehicle and finding that property stolen. This will either be in person at the time or by the Teams writing to the registered keeper if not local. This information may well be shared with insurance companies in the event of an insurance claim which may affect that claim”

The air fresheners are available free of charge at the vehicle crime road shows run by your local Safer Neighbourhood Teams or by contacting your local Safer Neighbourhood Team.
For further crime reduction advice contact your local Safer Neighbourhood Team.
For any further information please contact your local Safer Neighbourhood Team via the main Met Police website by telephone or by e-mail.

Kind regards,

Emma Gardiner
PS18VW
Abbey SNT
0208 6493584
abbey@met.police.uk

DRIVE OUT CAR CRIME

Dear Residents,

Get your free ‘Don’t Bother’ kit as part of an ongoing campaign to drive out vehicle crime in the Borough
Merton Police and Safer Merton are handing out free ‘Don’t Bother kits’ to motorists within the Borough. Theft from vehicles accounts for 66% of all recorded vehicle crime. The don’t bother kit helps educate the vehicle owner to remove valuables. It also tells a would be thief that valuables have been removed from that vehicle.

Merton Police Crime Reduction Advisor PC Greg HUNT said, "The Partnership is committed to keeping crime low by reducing vehicle crime. Theft from motor vehicle is on the increase and all too often the thief steals property left out on open display in the vehicle. The ‘Don’t Bother Kit tells the thief that everything of value has been taken from the vehicle. Taking a few seconds to remove any valuables from your vehicle may save you hundreds of pounds in repairing a broken window and replacing your valuables. This runs alongside the vulnerable vehicle scheme already being run by your Safer Neighbourhood Teams.
If officers out on patrol discover something of value left out on open display in a vehicle they will contact the registered keeper and warn them of the perils of their actions. This will either be in person at the time or by the Teams writing to the registered keeper if not local. This information may well be shared with insurance companies in the event of a claim which may affect that claim.
The don’t bother kits are available free of charge at the Partnership Road shows throughout the year or by contacting your local Safer Neighbourhood Team. For further crime reduction advice contact your local Safer Neighbourhood Team.

Kind Regards,

Emma Gardiner
PS18VW
0208 6493584
abbey@met.police.uk

Dear residents,
I should like to take this opportunity to inform you of recent burglaries within the borough.
A female suspect attends the home address of the elderly and vulnerable. Once there, she purports to be from social services, and invariably, is allowed entry into the premises. The suspect then steals property from the victim.
Please be aware of this female and also look out for your elderly or vulnerable neighbour who may well fall prey to this callous suspect.
If you should see anyone acting suspiciously, please do not hesitate to contact your local SNT team. In the event of an emergency, always dial ‘999’.

Kind regards,

Emma Gardiner
PS18VW
0208 6493584
Abbey@met.police.uk

Dear Residents and budding young athletes,

Met Tracks provides free professional athletic coaching for 10-17 year olds and is being re launched on the borough on Thursday 25th March 2010. The sessions will take place at The Hub, Tooting and Mitcham FC, Bishopsford Road, Morden.
The sessions are aimed at a group of approximately 20 young people and will run every Thursday between 4pm - 5:30pm, including school holidays. And they say ‘you never get nothing for nothing’, in this case that’s not true. The sessions are completely free!

For further information please see http://www.met-track.com/

So please come along and support this excellent and beneficial initiative!

Kind regards,

Emma Gardiner
PS18VW
0208 6493584
abbey@met.police.uk

Dear residents,

Police and council join forces to answer your queries.

Merton Council and the Police are joining forces next week (Wednesday 10th March 2010 from midday - 2pm) with the second 'Face the Public' event aimed at listening to your views and giving answers to your community safety questions.

As part of their statutory duty to speak to the public about these issues, Merton Council's chief executive Ged Curran and Merton Police Borough Commander Chris Bourlet are going around the borough over the coming months inviting people who live, work or visit Merton to come along and ask them their questions about community safety, crime and anti-social behaviour.

They will kick start the events next Wednesday 10th March 2010 in Wimbledon Town centre on the Piazza near to Morrison's Supermarket from midday until 2pm and will have the local Safer Neighbourhood teams on hand to speak to you too. Just look out for the reassurance bus and come and get involved.

Further events will follow throughout the year .

We look forward to seeing you.

Kind regards,

Emma Gardiner
PS18VW
Abbey SNT
Tel. 0208 6493584
abbey@met.police.uk

Dear residents,
Yes, it's time for your next instalment in our series of 'Driving out vehicle crime'.

WIPING OUT CAR CRIME
Get your free sat nav dusters/screen wipes as part of an ongoing campaign to drive out vehicle crime in the Borough
Merton Police and Safer Merton are handing out the complimentary wipes and dusters to wipe away the suction marks left by a satellite navigation system on your car windscreen. Even if you have taken your ‘sat nav’ with you, thieves spotting a suction mark may break in to see if it has been hidden in the glove box.
Getting rid of the marks will hopefully deter criminals looking for the tell tale signs and reduce the risk of unnecessary damage and cost to your vehicle.
Supt Pete DOBSON Partnership lead for Merton Police said, “I fully support this scheme and I urge the public of Merton to secure their vehicles, keep them free of valuables and remove suction marks to help reduce vehicle crime”.
Merton Police Crime Reduction Advisor Pc Greg HUNT said, "The Partnership is committed to keeping crime low by reducing vehicle crime. The theft of satellite navigation systems is one of the highest crimes at the moment, so taking a few seconds to get rid of the suction mark on your windscreen may save you hundreds of pounds in repairing a broken window and paying for a new sat nav”.
Screen wipes and sat nav dusters are available free of charge at the Partnership Roadshows through the year or by contacting your local Safer Neighbourhood Team. For further crime reduction advice contact your local Safer Neighbourhood Team.
For any further information please contact your local Safer Neighbourhood Team via the main Met Police website by telephone or by e-mail.

Kind regards,

Emma Gardiner
PS18VW
Abbey SNT
Tel. 0208 6493584
abbey@met.police.uk

February 2010
DRIVE OUT VEHICLE CRIME

Dear Residents,

In the second of seven planned vehicle crime reduction interventions under the ‘Drive out Vehicle Crime’ campaign, Police across Merton are handing out free security screws to motorists for securing number plates.
Merton Police and Safer Merton are advising motorists to secure their number plates using security fixings to prevent them from being stolen. Once fitted, they cannot be removed using a normal screwdriver.
There has been a significant increase in the theft of vehicle number plates across the borough in the last few years with 11% of all recorded thefts in Merton being theft of number plates.
Acting Sergeant Dan WHEATLEY from the Raynes Park Safer Neighbourhood Team said: "Merton Police is committed to keeping crime low by reducing vehicle crime. The theft of a vehicle number plate may appear to be a minor crime but it is an inconvenience and causes a financial cost to the car owner. In some cases stolen plates are then used to facilitate further offences. The use of security fixings can prevent your number plate from being stolen. Merton Police are also investigating all such reports and speaking to all victims of this type of crime to ascertain the circumstances behind the theft. If reports are found to be false to avoid parking fines and congestion charging then robust action will be taken against those making that report.
Security screws are available free of charge at the Partnership Roadshows through the year or via your local Safer Neighbourhood Team.
Following on from our successful property marking day at Action Bikes, the team visited several residents’ addresses at their request to mark their property.
Please contact the team if you would like to arrange a date, time and place to suit you, when we can attend and fit the security fixings.
For any further information please contact your local Abbey Safer Neighbourhood Team via the main Met Police website by telephone or by e-mail.

Regards,

Emma Gardiner
PS18VW
0208 6493584
abbey@met.police.uk

DRIVE OUT VEHICLE CRIME
Dear residents,

In an effort to combat vehicle crime, Merton Borough Police in conjunction with Safer Merton are launching a ‘Drive Out Vehicle Crime’ initiative which will include a number of partnership interventions throughout the year. The first of which is to provide a property marking service for those living within the Borough. At this time of year, many people will have received sat navs for Christmas; these items are often left inside vehicles and provide thieves with an opportunity to steal.

Inspector Jim COOK from Merton Police said, “Vehicle crime is the one of the highest crime types in the Borough and a number of Safer Neighbourhood Teams have had vehicle crime reduction chosen by their ward Panels to work. We will be looking to raise the public’s awareness and offering advice on how they can help us reduce the incidence of vehicle crime. Over the coming weeks and months Merton Police will be carrying out a number of proactive operations against those involved in vehicle crime. Already the Safer Neighbourhood Teams conduct a large number of Automatic Number Plate Operations and will continue these with both uniform and plain clothes patrols in areas where vehicle crime is most prevalent”.

We take this opportunity to remind you all to:

Ensure cars are locked – this might seem simple but a high percentage of cars are left unlocked in Merton.

Don’t leave anything on view – you may know your jacket is empty but an opportunist thief doesn’t.

Take your sat nav out of your vehicle and clean the suction mark off the windscreen – thieves will smash your window just to check the glove box.

In a previous ‘Community Safe’ message, I informed you of a bike and property marking day, scheduled to take place on Saturday 9th January 2010. Why not utilise the property marking day to bring your sat navs along to Action Bikes, Broadway SW19? The team will be happy to security mark your sat navs free of charge.
If you are unable to attend, please contact the team to arrange an alternative date, time and place to suit you, when we can attend and security mark your property, in particular, your sat navs.

For any further information please contact your local Abbey Safer Neighbourhood Team.

Regards,
Emma Gardiner
PS18VW
0208 6493584
abbey@met.police.uk

Dear Residents,

On behalf of the Abbey Safer Neighbourhood Team, I would like to wish all our residents, workers & visitors to Abbey Ward a Happy New Year and a safe 2010.

This time of year tends to be a time of reflection on things that we have done (or haven’t got around to doing!) during the past year or even decade.

The New Year often spurs us into making New Year’s Resolutions, starting something we’ve been meaning to get around to for a long time……joining the gym, decorating the house, giving up smoking etc etc.

Here are a few alternative New Year Resolutions that you may wish to consider for 2010:

1. If you love it - register it

By registering your valuables on www.immobilise.com you can put details of your prized possessions on a national database that police can access and compare against items that have been found or recovered from suspected criminals.
The on-line service is totally free and is quick and easy to use. Items marked as being registered with Immobilise are less likely to be stolen, and households displaying Immobilise stickers are less likely to be targeted by burglars.

2. Start/Re-start a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme

Neighbourhood Watch schemes can:
• cut crime and the opportunities for crime
• help and reassure those who live in the area
• encourage neighbourliness and closer communities

You may even get a discount on your home contents insurance.

To discuss starting a scheme or reinvigorating an existing scheme please contact your local Safer Neighbourhood Team by any of the means above or alternatively the Merton NHW Manager on 020 8649 3213. More details of Merton Neighbourhood Watch can be found at http://www.mertonnhw.co.uk

3. Vehicle Crime – Protect Yourself

Did you know that...
• Most vehicle crime is preventable. It can take as little as 10 seconds for a thief to steal something from your car. If at all possible, leave nothing on view. (not even empty bags)
• NEVER leave valuable items in your car, including sunglasses, the removable radio cover and your Sat Nav. Do you really need all those things you keep in the glove box?
• Wipe away the Sat Nav mark on your windscreen.

4. Review Your Home Security

Did you know that your Safer Neighbourhood Team can visit your home and conduct a Home Security Survey? This is free of charge and shouldn’t take more than an hour of your time. The survey will highlight areas of your home where security is both good and more importantly where it can be improved to help keep intruders away. Contact the Abbey Team if you’d like to make an appointment.

Alternatively there is comprehensive home security information at http://www.met.police.uk/crimeprevention/house.htm

5. Get your Alleyway Gated!

If your home is bordered by an alleyway consider getting together with the neighbours who share access and having it gated. This will not only provide security against burglars but can also help to stop flytipping.

Grants are also available from the council to cover 40% of the costs.

More details can be found at http://www.merton.gov.uk/living/transport-streets/alley-gating.htm . The borough Merton Alleygate Coordinator can be contacted on 020 8545 4786.

6. Become a MetVolunteer or Special Constable

Many people want a new challenge at the start of a new year. Why not join the Metropolitan Police as either a Special Constable or a MetVolunteer.

The Met Special Constabulary (MSC) is a force of volunteers who work with and offer support to regular Metropolitan Police Officers, providing a vital link with the people of London's 32 Boroughs.

Afforded the same powers as regular officers and wearing the same uniform, Special Constables are everyday people who are prepared to give up at least 25 hours of their spare time each month to do something positive for themselves and their community.

In addition, your training and duties will provide you with a number of intangible personal rewards, interesting experiences, new friends, additional skills, a sense of achievement - they all ensure that you benefit from your time as a Special as much as the community you serve.

The Met Volunteer Programme (MVP) gives volunteers the opportunity to support the Met in making London the safest major city in the world. It increases contact between local communities and the police, and improves the service we give to the public.
Met Volunteers lend their skills and free time to help make London safer.
They volunteer in the borough that they also live or work in.
By giving back to their community, they also gain valuable experiences.

For information on either of these opportunities visit the Metropolitan Police website at http://www.met.police.uk/careers

As always, please urge your neighbours, colleagues and friends to join up to the CommunitySafe site.

To report Crime please remember to call 999 if there is a crime happening ‘now’ or the new non-emergency number 0300 123 1212 if it has already happened.

Best Wishes for 2010,

Emma Gardiner
PS18VW
Abbey SNT
0208 6493584
abbey@met.police.uk

Dear Residents,
I would like to take this opportunity to inform you of an initiative taking place on Saturday 9th January 2010.
Abbey SNT will be conducting a bike marking day at ‘Action Bikes’, Broadway, Wimbledon, SW19. We will be there from 1000hrs to 1600hrs Why not come along? Not only with your pushbikes for identity marking, but bring everyday items such as your mobile telephones. The team is looking forward to meeting with you and taking the time to ensure your property remains safe and easily identifiable.
Abbey SNT would also like to remind residents that you can register your property via www.immobilise.com which is a nationwide scheme.
During the same hours, there will also be a reassurance bus located in Montague Road, SW19. If you can spare the time, please come and have a chat with your local team. Tell us what matters to you; are we getting it right?
In partnership, we will continue to reduce crime rates within Abbey ward.

Regards,
Emma Gardiner
PS18VW
Abbey SNT
0208 6493584
abbey@met.police.uk

Dear Residents,
I would like to take this opportunity to inform you that the operation carried out in November, was again carried out on 9th December 2009.

The aim of the operation was to identify, and deter burglars and also to prevent daytime burglaries.

Numerous officers were utilised within the operation which ran from 1000hrs to 2200hrs. The results for the operation are as follows -

Fourteen people were stopped and searched, three of whom had previous arrests and/or convictions for burglary.
Four people were prolific offenders.
No burglaries were reported on Abbey ward on that day.

Abbey SNT is steadfast in tackling burglary, and will continue to actively target those who are intent on committing crime on this ward.

Regards,
Emma Gardiner
PS18VW
Abbey SNT
0208 6493584
abbey@met.police.uk
Abbey SNT

Dear resident,

At Merton borough we want to increase the numbers of volunteer police officers ('specials') who work with us to reduce and detect crime where they live. We already have 40 volunteer officers with the full powers of a constable who work with us in various roles from answering 999 calls to making their neighbourhoods safer alongside the safer neighbourhood teams.

Specials make arrests, deal with prisoners conduct stop and search and participate in police operations. I am working full time to train, support and develop our specials to make sure they have the skills and confidence to patrol our streets. Most of our specials have full time jobs and contribute some of their spare time to keeping our streets safe.

We can provide you with full police training, an experienced officer to work with you and develop your skills and the chance to participate in one of the most challenging and exciting jobs in London. If you are interested in finding out more then please drop me an email at VWMailbox-.msc@met.police.uk. Or phone me on my personal mobile 07919 044 056.

Kind regards

Ben Morrison
MSC Manager
Merton Borough

Dear Residents,
I would like to take this opportunity to inform you of a recent operation carried out within Abbey Ward.

On 25th November 2009, I ran an operation targeting Kingston Road, and surrounding roads. The aim of the operation was to identify, and deter bogus builders and also to prevent daytime burglaries.

Numerous officers were utilised within the operation which ran from 1000hrs to 1600hrs. The results for the operation are as follows -

Twenty people were stopped and searched, seven of whom had previous arrests and/or convictions for burglary.
One male was arrested for possession of cannabis.
No burglaries were reported on Abbey ward on that day.
No crime of any description was reported on Abbey ward that day.

Abbey SNT is steadfast in tackling burglary, and will continue to actively target those who are intent on committing crime on this ward.

Regards,
PS18VW Gardiner
Abbey SNT
0208 6493584
abbey@met.police.uk
Abbey SNT

Dear residents,
We have recently received reports that a male has been knocking on doors within your area. The male purports to be from a building company. He tells residents that he has identified potential problems within their property and then goes on to state that repair work is necessary.
It is our belief that in the majority of cases, there are no repairs necessary. On the rare occasions that work may be required, it is often charged at hugely inflated prices.
We would advise you not to allow any such caller into your home, and not to utilise the offer of repair work. Advice from reputable builders can be ascertained from various sources.
If you suspect that this male has knocked at your door, or you can provide us with any additional information, please contact your Safer Neighbourhoods Team on the telephone number or e-mail address shown below.
Abbey SNT is committed to deal with this issue. We have increased visible patrols within the affected areas, conducted leaflet drops and will be carrying out operations in plain clothes within the near future.
Regards,
Abbey SNT
0208 6493584
abbey@met.police.uk

Dear residents,
Abbey SNT has recently undergone a change in staff. Sergeant Rice has transferred from the team on promotion to Inspector; he is succeeded by Sergeant Emma Gardiner.
Sergeant Gardiner has over 10 years experience within the police service. She has served within the boroughs of Fulham and Hammersmith, Lambeth, Kingston and has spent five years on response team within the borough of Merton. Sgt Gardiner has previously been in charge of the Wimbledon Anti-disorder Town Centre Team, prior to which she served within Mounted Branch.
Sergeant Gardiner looks forward to this new challenge and hopes to have the opportunity to meet with many of the residents in person.

Regards,

Abbey SNT
0208 6493584
abbey@met.police.uk

How can we make Merton safer?

Safer Merton is your local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership. The partners include a range of agencies such as the police, council and fire brigade, who work together to reduce problems in the borough relating to crime, anti-social behaviour and drug and alcohol misuse.

By March 2010 Safer Merton will have completed it's third borough wide Strategic Assessment. This assessment examines all the crimes that have happened in Merton in order to help us set the Partnership's priorities for 2010/11. To help inform this decision making process we would really appreciate your views and for you to tell us what your top three concerns and priorities are in relation to community safety. Below is a link to a very short form to enable you to provide us with your comments. It should only take a couple of minutes to complete.

www.merton.gov.uk/safermertonconsultation

If you would like any further information about the consultation, please contact the Safer Merton Team on 020 8 274 5971. Alternatively you can email us at safer.merton@merton.gov.uk.

Many thanks

Halloween and fireworks night is almost upon us again and will be one of the busiest times of the year with regards to anti social behaviour. We want people to be safe while out enjoying themselves so please read on to see what your Safer Neighbourhood Team and Safer Transport Team have planned to keep you safe during this period. Months of planning has taken place so that the law-abiding majority can enjoy this autumn’s festivities without their fun being spoilt by a small number of troublemakers.

There will be an increase in police activity to deter anti-social behaviour, disorder and crime during this busy time. Your Safer Neighbourhood Team will be working later shifts during this time to keep you and the ward safe while individuals involved in knife crime and other violent offending will be targeted under Operation Blunt 2. Your Safer Neighbourhood Teams can be contacted on their 'mobex' phone that they carry and their contact numbers can be found on the Met Police website. These phone numbers are non emergency phone numbers so we would urge you all to ring 999 in the first instance if there is an incident that warrants immediate Police attention. As your Teams will be working later shifts during this time it is highly likley that they will be the ones responding to your calls.

Safer Schools’ Partnership Police Officers will be working to protect and reassure young people. In the run up to schools’ breaking up they will be focusing on the end of the school day when large numbers of young people come together on and around the public transport system.

The Safer Transport Teams will be concentrating on the bus routes and bus terminii and the Safer Town Centre Team will be working in the Town centres.
We have been asking shops and supermarkets not to sell eggs and flour to young people which often are used to throw at houses and other buildings.

The small minority who remain intent on using this period as an opportunity for criminal activity can expect police attention. In particular those who choose to carry knives and other weapons can expect to be arrested and sent to court and it is only a very small minority whose anti-social behaviour causes misery for others.

To assist you with being safe during this period we have produced some key Safety Messages:

Advice to Parents, and carers -
• Make sure you know where they are and they know how to behave
• Go with them trick or treating if you can
• Keep fireworks in a safe place in the house
• Report any anti-social behaviour or concerns to your local Safer Neighbourhood teams.
• Attend organised events wherever possible.

Advice to young people -
• We want you to enjoy yourselves but will not tolerate unacceptable behaviour.
• Ensure you are safe by staying with others
• Leave your valuable property at home.
• Attend organised events wherever possible.
• When trick or treating avoid knocking on elderly neighbours and causing unnecessary worry.

We have attached a poster that we have devised that you may wish to print off and display in your front window or somewhere else prominent over the Halloween period if you do not want trick and treaters calling at your door.

Have a safe Halloween and fireworks night !!

Inspector Matt BOYD - Morden SNT
Inspector Jim COOK - Wimbledon SNT
Inspector Jon PHILLIPS - Mitcham SNT
Inspector Dave ROBLING - Safer Transport Team

• No Trick or Treat Poster (92.4 KB)

On Friday the 25th September 2009 at 1940 hours Abbey Safer Neighbourhood Team arrested three youths in the communal lift area on the 11th floor of May Court on the High Path Estate after herbal cannabis was found. One later admitted possesion of cannabis.

One Saturday the 26th September 2009 Abbey Safer Neighbourhood Team executed a drugs warrant in Deburgh House on Nelson Grove Road and a quantity of herbal cannabis was found. The female occupier was issued with a fixed penalty notice.

On Wednesday the 30th September 2009 Abbey Safer Neighbourhood Team organised and presented a personal safety talk and demonstration at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development building in Wimbldeon Broadway. Forty five members of staff watched an informative terrorism video and receive basic crime prevention advice. Feedback from the presentation was very positive.

Abbey SNT continue to take positive enforcement action against anti social behaviour. Our priorities continue to be residential burglary and youth engagement. Please contact us on 0208 649 3584 regarding any information or concerns.

Abbey Ward Priorities : Residential Burglary and Youth Engagement

During the month of August 2009 there were two reported cases of attempted burglary and one case of burglary. This is a 50% decrease from previous month. The two attempts were in Merton High Street and Hardy Road SW19. The burglary occurred at 0400 hours on the 10/08/2008 in Victory Road where the occupiers left the front ground floor window open. The suspect climbed in through the insecure window and it is believed they were disturbed and left via front door as no property was taken.

We have had a number of properties under renovation being targeted recently. Suspects find these particularly tempting, particularly in the early hours when they know it is unlikely anyone is in and where expensive tools/ copper piping can usually be found. If you own one of these properties, please ensure they are properly secure. It may be worth putting up security lights and an alarm. If you are a neighbour, please report any suspicious activity.

There were fifteen reported cases of motor vehicle crime in Abbey Ward. Please make sure no valuables are left on display, particularly satellite navigational system cradles. Even without the actual Sat Nav system, thieves cannot resist smashing a window to have a look in the glove compartment.

Hopefully we will continue to see a decrease in residential burglaries this month. We continue to task our patrols in the hotspots and this seems to be having the desired effect. Contact Abbey Safer Neighbourhood Team on 0208 649 3584 if you see any suspicious activity. Ring 999 in an emergency.

You can meet Abbey Safer Neighbourhood Team at our office at 3 Pincott Road SW19 on Wednesday the 9th September 2009 between 1000-1200 hours.

Ward Priority - Residential Burglary

In the month of July 2009, there were six reported cases of residential burglary on the ward. They occurred in Merton High Street, Mill Road, Haydons Road, Hardy Road and two in Melbourne Road. The majority occurred during the day with a suspect being seen in the Mill Road burglary. He is described as a large black male between 5'11 and 6'2 tall, about 30 years old with very dark skin.He was seen outside the front door between 3pm-4pm on the 19th July 2009.

I have also recently received reports from residents being disturbed in the early hours of the morning by persons unknown acting suspiciously in side alleys and gardens of houses. The residents did not contact police at time and resulted in the suspects being allowed to go about their business. Please contact police if you come across any suspicious activity. If you believe a crime has or is about to be committed, call 999.

Abbey Ward and other Police units have been specifically tasked to patrol residential areas on Abbey Ward and we would like to hear of any suspicious activity at the time of it occurring. Please contact police on 0208 649 3584 or if it is an emergency, call 999.

If you would like to meet your Safer Neighbourhood Team, we are holding a drop in on Sunday the 30th August 2009 between 7pm and 9pm or Wednesday the 9th September 2009 between 10am and 12pm at our office at 3 Pincott Road SW19.