CommunitySafe.gov.uk

Cannon Hill Safer Neighbourhoods Team Newsletter 30 th July 2010

Our current ward priorities are:

> Antisocial behaviour by Youths
> Burglary
> Theft from Motor Vehicles

BURGLARY PREVENTION ADVICE

Although Cannon Hill continues to have one of the lowest number of burglaries on the ward, I would like to remind all residents that the following crime prevention advice will greatly reduce the chance of becoming a victim:

1. SECURE WINDOWS AND DOORS: To prevent burglaries it is essential that all windows and doors are shut and locked whilst your property is unattended. Close ground floor windows and lock front doors overnight.

2. PREVENT ACCESS TO GARDENS: Solid gates, locks, high fences, prickly boundary bushes and anti-climb paint all prevent burglar access to your garden.

3. BE VIGILANT AND SUSPICIUOUS: Most burglaries occur in the day and suspects may be alone or with others, of varying age, may not be carrying anything and may use a vehicle especially vans. If you see someone acting suspiciously please dial 999 immediately, but do not confront them as it is best if police stop them whilst committing the offence.

PUBLIC SURGERY DATES

Why not come and meet your Safer Neighbourhoods Team. We are holding public surgeries at the times below:

7th August 2010 from 11 to 12pm in Martin Way (Near Total Garage)
12th August 2010 from 7 to 8pm at Aberconway Road SNT Office
31st August 2010 from 7 to 8pm at Aberconway Road SNT Office

John Tibaldi PS 89VW

Cannon Hill SNT, Aberconway Road,
Morden. Surrey. SM4 5NL
Tel: 020 8721 2455
E mail: CannonHill.SNT@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

Cannon Hill Safer Neighbourhoods Team Newsletter 9th July 2010

Our current priorities are:

> Antisocial behaviour by Youths
> Burglary
> Theft from Motor Vehicles

Criminal Damage to Motor Vehicles

This week there have been three incidents of criminal damage to Peugeot car doors being forced open over night. We would ask that if you see anyone acting suspiciously to dial 999 immediately. If you have any information as to the identity of those causing this damage or would like to discuss any issue, please contact us on 020 8721 2455 or by email. All information will be treated confidentially.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Have Your Say on Policing in London
The Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) is consulting on London's policing priorities and are interested in the opinion of people from the ward. To take part simply complete a short questionnaire by 26th November 2010. This can be done either online via (www.mpa.gov.uk/publications/policingplans/haveyoursay/) or using a paper copy or telephone questionnaire by calling call 020 7202 0063.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Safer Neighbourhoods Team public surgery dates

Why not come and meet your Safer Neighbourhoods Team. We are holding public surgeries at the times below
Drop-in surgery on 11/07/2010 - 11:00 - 12:00 in Martin Way (Near Total Garage)
Drop-in surgery on 20/07/2010 - 19:00 - 20:00 in Aberconway Road SNT Office
Drop-in surgery on 07/08/2010 - 11:00 - 12:00 in Martin Way (Near Total Garage)
Drop-in surgery on 12/08/2010 - 19:00 - 20:00 in Aberconway Road SNT Office
Drop-in surgery on 31/08/2010 - 19:00 - 20:00 in Aberconway Road SNT Office

John Tibaldi PS 89VW

Cannon Hill SNT, Aberconway Road,
Morden. Surrey. SM4 5NL
Tel: 020 8721 2455
E mail: CannonHill.SNT@met.police.uk

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

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”. He added, “We will be rounding off the campaign by carrying out another large scale Secure Vehicle MOT later in the Summer during which we will complete an overall security check of cars and suggest measures to keep vehicles safe – so keep an eye out for the date and venue. Your local Safer Neighbourhood Teams will continue to run smaller more local events within the Community”.
The air fresheners are available free of charge at the vehicle crime road shows run by your local Safer Neighbourhood Teams or by contacting Cannon Hill Safer Neighbourhoods Team.
For further crime reduction or information please contact us via the main Met Police website, on 0208 721 2455 or by e-mail at CannonHil.SNT@Met.police.uk.

Regards John Tibaldi PS 89VW

National Mobile Phone Register
The NMPR is a single on-line property search system for the UK Law Enforcement agencies. For the first time it allows the police to search any identifiable item of property to view its registered owners details, if it's been reported stolen to the system by the police anywhere in the UK, by the owner, the insurance company or in the case of a mobile phone, a network.
Virtually all the forces in the UK use the NMPR with nearly a hundred thousand officers with access via their control centres, handheld devices and computer systems. Hundreds of thousands of checks have been run since the system went live with many arrests and charges brought as a result of the information held on the NMPR database.

Helping police capture thieves
Uniquely members of the public can interact with the NMPR by reporting their stolen property via the national property register at immobilise.com. This allows any force in the UK to view the owners details and any associated crime report information. When ever police are suspicious as to whether a person owns their mobile phone they use NMPR to confirm the phones status within minutes.
Mobile phone crime and the NMPR
The NMPR is central to the reduction and idenfication of mobile phone crime. As well as allowing officers to view ownership details of handset owners who have registered via immobilise.com it also allows them to view if a phone has been reprogrammed or been blocked by the UK networks after it has been reported to them as lost or stolen.

Register on NMPR today
The immobilise website is an excellent way of locating the rightful owners of property. This is a free site where anyone can register their property by logging all their property with a serial number onto the web site.
Don’t forget to also register your unique mobile number. This can be found by inputting *#06# into your phone and the serial number will be displayed. Register your property for free at www.immobilise.com

DRIVE OUT VEHICLE CRIME
As part of an ongoing campaign to drive out vehicle crime, Merton Police and Safer Merton are providing free car air fresheners to motorists in the Borough with a crime prevention message stating 'STOP - All valuables have been removed' on one side and a message reminding motorists to remove all valuables on the other.
Merton Police Crime Reduction Advisor Pc Greg HUNT said, "The Partnership is committed to 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 vehicle crime road shows or by contacting Cannon Hill Safer Neighbourhoods Team directly. For further crime reduction advice or information contact Cannon Hill Safer Neighbourhoods Team on 0208 721 2455 or by e-mail on Cannonhill.snt@met.police.uk. If you wish to become a member of Community safe and sign up to free crime alerts and news of what your local safer Neighbourhood Team is up to please contact them direct or join via www.communitysafe.gov.uk.

DRIVE OUT VEHICLE CRIME
Come and get your vehicle security checked and a FREE goodie bag as part of an ongoing campaign to drive out vehicle crime in the Borough
Merton Police and Safer Merton are holding a secure vehicle MOT event on Saturday 1 May 2010 from 10am – 2pm during which Merton Police will be carrying out an overall security check of the cars and will suggest measures to keep vehicles safe.
Merton Police Crime Prevention Advisor PC Greg HUNT will be in attendance and the event at the Sava Centre will also include:
• Some of your local Safer Neighbourhood Teams
• London Fire Brigade
• Autoglass

Other events will be organised by your local Safer Neighbourhood Teams during this month that will be advertised via the Met Police website or via Community Safe - a FREE warn and inform scheme being run by Merton Police.
Professional advice on all aspects of potential vehicle crime and criminality including number plate security, Satellite Navigation safety, car security alarms/ immobilisers, accident prevention and window etching will be available.
PC Greg HUNT Crime Prevention Advisor for Merton Police said; “By following simple steps such as locking your car and removing valuable items from your vehicle, you will significantly reduce the chance of becoming a victim of vehicle crime. Thieves will target cars which are insecure or where they can see items such as mobile phones or satellite navigation systems through the window. The aim of our campaign is to educate motorists on how to reduce the risk.”
The Partnership will be giving away goodies to remind everyone to secure their vehicles and take valuables with them. Autoglass will be offering free windscreen health checks and will repair windscreen chips for free if the policy holder has fully comprehensive insurance.
For any further information please contact your Cannon Hill Safer Neighbourhood Team via the main Met Police website by telephone 0208 721 2455 or by e-mail CannonHill.SNT@met.police.uk. If you wish to become a member of Community safe and sign up to free crime alerts and news of what Cannon Hill Safer Neighbourhoods Team is up to please contact them direct.

DRIVE OUT CAR CRIME
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 through the year or by contacting Cannon Hill Safer Neighbourhood Team. For further crime reduction advice contact your local Safer Neighbourhood Team.
For any further information please contact Cannon Hill Safer Neighbourhoods Team on 0208 721 2455 or e-mail on CannonHill.SNT@met.police.uk. If you wish to become a member of Community safe and sign up to free crime alerts and news of what Cannon Hill Safer Neighbourhoods Team is up to please contact them direct or join via www.communitysafe.gov.uk.

Cannon Hill SNT Newsletter
25th March 2010

Our current priorities are:

> Antisocial behaviour by Youths
> Burglary
> Theft from Motor Vehicles

UPDATES

Burglary Warning

This week three males were stopped in a side alleyway and we believe they were planning to commit a burglary. In addition to this, a woman has been knocking on elderly residents doors addresses and claiming to be from Social Services, before entering and stealing property. If you see anyone acting suspiciously please dial 999 immediately. For crime prevention advice or to join a NHW Scheme, please contact us on 0208 721 2455.

Criminal Damage in Martin Way

There have been a number of incidents of criminal damage to vehicles, windows and other street furniture over night in Martin Way. If you see anyone acting suspiciously dial 999 immediately. If you have any information about who is causing criminal damage, please contact us. All information will be treated in confidence.

MET Track

There is now free training with an international athlete for 10-17 year olds of any ability, in any track or field event, for anyone not yet involved in sport. It takes place every Thursday from 4-5.30pm at The Hub Tooting and Mitcham from March 25th April. For further information call Jason Hussain 07701056323 or jason.hussain@met.police.uk or visit the website www.met-track.com

John Tibaldi PS 89VW

Cannon Hill SNT
Aberconway Road,
Morden. SM4 5LN
0208 721 2455
CannonHill.SNT@met.police.uk

Dear members,

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.

Merton Council's chief executive Ged Curran and Merton Police Borough Commander Chris Bourlet are holding these events around the borough over the coming months inviting people who live, work or visit Merton to come along with any questions about community safety, crime and anti-social behaviour.

The first event is being held on 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. If you have any specific Cannon Hill quesions please feel free to contact us at anytime on 0208 721 2455 or by email on Cannonhill.SNT@Met.Police.UK

John Tibaldi PS 89VW

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 Cannon Hill Safers Neighbourhood Team. For further crime reduction advice contact your local Safer Neighbourhood Team.
For any further information please contact us via the main Met Police website, 0208 721 2455 or CannonHill.SNT@met.police.uk . If you wish to become a member of Community safe and sign up to free crime alerts and news of what Cannon Hill Safer Neighbourhoods Team is up to please contact them direct or join via www.communitysafe.gov.uk.

DRIVE OUT VEHICLE CRIME
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 Cannon Hill Safer Neighbourhoods Team. Our next public surgeries are on Saturday 20th February at 11am at Martin Way and Tuesday 23rd February at 7pm in Martin Way Methodist Church. For any further information please contact Cannon Hill Safer Neighbourhoods Team on 0208 721 2455, via the main Met Police website or on Cannonhill.SNT@Met.police.UK. If you wish to become a member of Community safe and sign up to free crime alerts and news of what your local safer Neighbourhood Team is up to please contact them direct or join via www.communitysafe.gov.uk.

John Tibaldi PS89VW

DRIVE OUT VEHICLE CRIME
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 that may well have received property such as sat navs that may well be used and left in vehicles.
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. I would urge those living in Merton to contact their local Safer Neighbourhood Team and sign up to Community Safe to receive up to date news of what their local Safer Neighbourhood Team is up to. This is a free system and by joining it you can find out about crime alerts and what the Police are doing in your local area. You can join by either logging onto WWW.Communitysafe.gov.uk or by contacting your local Safer Neighbourhood Team direct”.
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.
For any further information please contact Cannon Hill Safer Neighbourhoods Team on 0208 721 2455, via the main Met Police website or by e-mail at Cannonhill.snt@met.police.uk. If you wish to become a member of Community safe and sign up to free crime alerts and news of what your local safer Neighbourhood Team is up to please contact us or join via www.communitysafe.gov.uk.

John Tibaldi PS89VW

Cannon Hill Ward
Safer Neighbourhood Team

Team Contact details:
Mobile: 0208 721 2455
Office: 0208 649 3125
www.Cannonhill.snt@met.police.uk

Warning Garage & Shed Thefts

Dear Ward Member,

There has been an increase in the number of thefts from Garages and sheds in the borough. To help prevent this, ensure that perimeter fences and walls are in good repair, doors and windows are locked and any tools that could be used to gain access are locked away.

If you see anyone acting suspiciously near your or a neighbours property, please call police on 999 immediately.

If you would like any crime prevention advice please feel free to contact us on 0208 721 2455.

John Tibaldi PS 89VW

Cannon Hill Newsletter 12th Dec 2009

• Cannon Hill Newsletter 12th Dec 2009 (33 KB)

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

Cannon Hill Newsletter

• Cannon Hill Newsletter (29 KB)

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)

Cannon Hill Newsletter

• Cannon Hill Newsletter (27.5 KB)

Cannon Hill Newsletter 21st August 09

• Cannon Hill Newsletter 21st August 09 (24 KB)

Can you help?

Merton Police are appealing for witnesses to five incidents of sexual touching that took place in Morden Hall Park between Thursday 25th June and Tuesday 30th June.

The incidents happened between 12:30pm and 3pm. The victims were all female and aged between 16 and 41 years old.

The suspect is described as a white man aged between 30 and 50 years old. He is of medium build with thinning/receding grey or blonde hair and between 5ft 6 and 5ft 9 inches tall. He has been described as having an “orange tan” and has a tattoo on his arm. He was seen wearing a navy top and navy tracksuit bottoms or three quarter length trousers. The man has been seen with a black/brown Staffordshire bull terrier dog.

DS Ben Davies from Wimbledon CID said “I would like to reassure the residents of Merton that police are doing all they can to identify the perpetrator of these offences. We are not saying keep away from the area but we are encouraging women who are walking alone through Morden Hall Park to be extra vigilant at this time. If anyone is approached by a man fitting the above description, we would urge them to call 999 immediately. If anyone has any information that could help police with their enquiries, please call Wimbledon CID on 020 8649 3147 or in confidence to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.”ENDS

John Tibaldi
Cannon Hill SNT
0208 721 2455

Cannon Hill Safer Neighbourhoods Team Newsletter
28th June 2009

Cannon Hill Safer Neighbourhoods Team current priorities are:

> Antisocial behaviour by Youths
> Burglary
> Criminal Damage

UPDATES

Cannon Hill Common

The common is extremely busy at this time of the year with people utilizing the facilities for a number of different activities. As a result Cannon Hill Team have increased our patrols to ensure that people are acting in a considerate manner, allowing everyone to enjoy their experience. In line with this we have recently dispersed a group of youths who were acting in a disorderly manner, and prevented another group from using a disposable BBQ.

Hillcross Avenue

In response to complaints of speeding, Merton Council have introduced a 20mph speed limit in order to protect pedestrians from Hillcross Primary School. Following consultation with councilors and local residents Cannon Hill SNT have started to enforce the limit by periodic speed checks using a hand held speed detection device. In doing so, it is our intention to make the road safer for everyone.

Vulnerable Vehicle Scheme

In a bid to reduce motor vehicle crime, Cannon Hill SNT are asking residents to ensure that they do not leave valuables on display and that all windows and doors are secured on unattended vehicles. Under a new Vulnerable Vehicle Scheme, we will be contacting the people to provide crime prevention advice where valuables are on show in their vehicle. This will be done in person at the time, or if this has not been possible an advice letter will be sent to their home address.

John Tibaldi PS 89VW

ARE YOU SECURE?An open house is an open invitation

Remove the opportunity-prevent the burglary

Don't make it easy for them-follow simple security advice to help keep your property safe:

1) When you leave your home, ensure that all windows and final exit doors are double locked.

2) Ensure that your front and back doors have at least two locks fitted centrally on the door at least 14 inches apart.

3) Check your door locks. Check they have the British standard kite mark. If they don't, change them for ones that do.
You may be entitled to a reduction in your insurance premium. Residents over 60 may be entitled to have their locks
upgraded free of charge under a scheme run by the London Borough of Merton (MESH).

4) Install timers which switch lights and or radios on and off automatically.

5) If going out after dark, draw the curtains, leave some lights on and a radio playing.

6) Never leave a spare key concealed anywhere near the front door-burglars know all the hiding places.

7) Prevent letter box burglaries (whereby a hook or hanger is used) by storing keys away from the front door.

8) Property mark your valuable items and then register them at www.immobilise.com

For crime prevention advice, log on to www.met.police.uk or contact your local Crime Reduction Officer on 020 8649 3245.

Your local Safer Neighbourhoods Team is working hard to address the problem of residential burglary and are carrying
out reassurance activities including high visibility patrols.

TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND REDUCE THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES