update Borough Commander Update 15/08/2011 (8pm) August 15, 2011 19:34 Borough Commander Update 15/08/2011 (8pm) For some time now Merton borough has returned to normality and local businesses are trading as usual. The weekend has passed without any significant incident; however policing numbers within the borough will remain high. Recent postings to the ‘latest news’ section of our internet site have concentrated on the local disorder we experienced last week together with updates as to the police response. Although concentrating on these issues, which understandably have been a significant topic of discussion and debate, we continue to deliver a range of other policing activities, ensuring that we continue to remain focused on crime prevention, crime reduction and other enforcement activity in order to keep communities within the borough safe. Although the organisations media ‘appeal focus’ has concentrated on those responsible for last weeks disorder and related offences, we hope that anyone with information about any crime (either on the borough or elsewhere) will also come forward and give us the often vital information that we need to progress the investigation. Any information please pass to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or Merton Police on 101 anytime of the day or night. I also take this opportunity to remind Merton Borough residents that during the summer months we invariably experience an increase in residential burglaries on the borough where entry is gained through open windows. Another crime type, which with the help of the public we can reduce, is theft from vehicles left unattended on the borough. We have noticed a rise in movable objects been stolen such as sat-navs and laptop computers which are left on display within vehicles on the street. Please consider what items may be attractive to an opportunist thief and make an effort to remove or conceal them from unattended vehicles. Last night I patrolled within Morden and as with Wimbledon and Mitcham I was struck by the community spirit and the wide condemnation of those responsible for the disorder, violence and stealing which occurred last week. We now have a notice board which is full of messages, letters and e-mails from our communities offering us their support and goodwill. On behalf of all the staff thank you so much, it has certainly helped in keeping our morale high. Messages from the children on the borough are especially touching! In any emergency requiring immediate police attendance, always dial 999. Dick Wolfenden Borough Commander merton@met.police.uk
Community Meeting held in Colliers Wood - Update 13/08/2011 (5pm) August 14, 2011 23:42 Superintendent Pete Dobson, Merton Police, writes "I have just returned from a well attended Community meeting in Colliers Wood, the area in our borough most affected by Monday’s disorder. I was extremely pleased to receive so much support from the local community after explaining how the events unfolded locally. There was also praise for the local partnership that came together in a united response to the incidents as well as thanks for the local volunteers that came out to help. Joining local residents and families, many of our community leaders were also there, including the local MP Siobhain McDonagh, the leader of the council Stephen Alambritis , the Chief Executive Ged Curran and Director for Environment from Merton, Merton's London Fire Brigade Borough Commander Jane Philpott, ward councillors, the Chamber of Commerce , faith leaders and many more. A healthy exchange of views took place with an emphasis on how to get back to normal, and then how to build local community cohesion and public spiritedness. There were many suggestions and ideas for learning and improving services, willingness for the business community to have closer links with the police and local authority and this includes developing quicker lines of communications. CommunitySafe (our free text messaging alert/advise/inform service) already has in excess of 24,000 email contacts amongst the residential community, and could be extended to include business and retailers. This will be taken forward. The Mitcham Status Fair has also returned to normal by opening their doors for the full planned hours. Police are still working hard to arrest offenders and much of this work involves search warrants and detective support from New Scotland Yard. Our local authority CCTV is being scrutinised and we will be publicising many more images of suspects in the coming days, weeks and even months. This enquiry will go on until we have we exhausted every possible lead. I am now making plans for the police to return to near normal levels of policing. It is not a realistic option for my staff to continue working 12 hour shifts without any days off for the remainder of the summer, but I will be making sure we have sufficient resilience that we can quickly up our numbers at short notice if needed. The borough remains calm and confidence is slowly gaining momentum - if you didn't know about Monday's disorder then you would think everything was quite normal except may be the extra police on visible patrols. Lastly, can I just ask again for your continued support in terms of providing information and intelligence. This is so important to keep the high levels of police enforcement activity at its current levels. Any information please pass to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or Merton Police on 101 anytime of the day or night. In any emergency requiring immediate police attendance, always dial 999. " Pete Dobson Superintendent Operations merton@met.police.uk
Project Griffin - Invitation to a free Awareness Day Thursday 1st September 2011 June 29, 2011 11:33 Please see attached which is an invitation to a FREE seminar at the New Wimbledon Theatre on Thursday 1st September 2011 at 11am. Tickets are limited and are on a first come, first served basis. Project Griffin is a nationally recognised model to deliver Counter Terrorism and crime awareness to individuals and groups including those responsible for safety and security of buildings, businesses, districts or neighbourhoods. The project is a Police and Private Industry initiative developed by the City of London Police (CoLP) to raise the public's awareness of counter terrorism issues. Project Griffin can assist the police to forge links with partners and businesses by providing an insight to counter terrorism awareness through organised events, and subsequently maintaining strong working relationships by continuing to engage with them thereafter. The main benefit to this is the extra 'eyes and ears' on the street and the increase and quality of reports received by the police of suspicious activity. The objectives of Project Griffin are to: • Raise public awareness of current terrorism and crime issues; • Share and gather intelligence and information; • Build and maintain effective working relationships and partnerships; • Maintain trust and confidence in the police and other authorities; • Empower people to report suspicious activity and behaviour to the police Jim COOK - Partnershiop Inspector Merton Police. Project Griffin flyer (140 KB)

update

Borough Commander Update 15/08/2011 (8pm)

August 15, 2011 19:34

Borough Commander Update 15/08/2011 (8pm)

For some time now Merton borough has returned to normality and local businesses are trading as usual. The weekend has passed without any significant incident; however policing numbers within the borough will remain high.

Recent postings to the ‘latest news’ section of our internet site have concentrated on the local disorder we experienced last week together with updates as to the police response.

Although concentrating on these issues, which understandably have been a significant topic of discussion and debate, we continue to deliver a range of other policing activities, ensuring that we continue to remain focused on crime prevention, crime reduction and other enforcement activity in order to keep communities within the borough safe.

Although the organisations media ‘appeal focus’ has concentrated on those responsible for last weeks disorder and related offences, we hope that anyone with information about any crime (either on the borough or elsewhere) will also come forward and give us the often vital information that we need to progress the investigation. Any information please pass to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or Merton Police on 101 anytime of the day or night.

I also take this opportunity to remind Merton Borough residents that during the summer months we invariably experience an increase in residential burglaries on the borough where entry is gained through open windows.

Another crime type, which with the help of the public we can reduce, is theft from vehicles left unattended on the borough. We have noticed a rise in movable objects been stolen such as sat-navs and laptop computers which are left on display within vehicles on the street. Please consider what items may be attractive to an opportunist thief and make an effort to remove or conceal them from unattended vehicles.

Last night I patrolled within Morden and as with Wimbledon and Mitcham I was struck by the community spirit and the wide condemnation of those responsible for the disorder, violence and stealing which occurred last week.

We now have a notice board which is full of messages, letters and e-mails from our communities offering us their support and goodwill. On behalf of all the staff thank you so much, it has certainly helped in keeping our morale high. Messages from the children on the borough are especially touching!

In any emergency requiring immediate police attendance, always dial 999.

Dick Wolfenden
Borough Commander

merton@met.police.uk

Community Meeting held in Colliers Wood - Update 13/08/2011 (5pm)

August 14, 2011 23:42

Superintendent Pete Dobson, Merton Police, writes "I have just returned from a well attended Community meeting in Colliers Wood, the area in our borough most affected by Monday’s disorder. I was extremely pleased to receive so much support from the local community after explaining how the events unfolded locally.

There was also praise for the local partnership that came together in a united response to the incidents as well as thanks for the local volunteers that came out to help.

Joining local residents and families, many of our community leaders were also there, including the local MP Siobhain McDonagh, the leader of the council Stephen Alambritis , the Chief Executive Ged Curran and Director for Environment from Merton, Merton's London Fire Brigade Borough Commander Jane Philpott, ward councillors, the Chamber of Commerce , faith leaders and many more.

A healthy exchange of views took place with an emphasis on how to get back to normal, and then how to build local community cohesion and public spiritedness. There were many suggestions and ideas for learning and improving services, willingness for the business community to have closer links with the police and local authority and this includes developing quicker lines of communications.

CommunitySafe (our free text messaging alert/advise/inform service) already has in excess of 24,000 email contacts amongst the residential community, and could be extended to include business and retailers. This will be taken forward.

The Mitcham Status Fair has also returned to normal by opening their doors for the full planned hours.

Police are still working hard to arrest offenders and much of this work involves search warrants and detective support from New Scotland Yard. Our local authority CCTV is being scrutinised and we will be publicising many more images of suspects in the coming days, weeks and even months. This enquiry will go on until we have we exhausted every possible lead.

I am now making plans for the police to return to near normal levels of policing. It is not a realistic option for my staff to continue working 12 hour shifts without any days off for the remainder of the summer, but I will be making sure we have sufficient resilience that we can quickly up our numbers at short notice if needed.

The borough remains calm and confidence is slowly gaining momentum - if you didn't know about Monday's disorder then you would think everything was quite normal except may be the extra police on visible patrols.

Lastly, can I just ask again for your continued support in terms of providing information and intelligence. This is so important to keep the high levels of police enforcement activity at its current levels.

Any information please pass to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or Merton Police on 101 anytime of the day or night.

In any emergency requiring immediate police attendance, always dial 999. "

Pete Dobson
Superintendent Operations

merton@met.police.uk

Project Griffin - Invitation to a free Awareness Day Thursday 1st September 2011

June 29, 2011 11:33

Please see attached which is an invitation to a FREE seminar at the New Wimbledon Theatre on Thursday 1st September 2011 at 11am. Tickets are limited and are on a first come, first served basis. Project Griffin is a nationally recognised model to deliver Counter Terrorism and crime awareness to individuals and groups including those responsible for safety and security of buildings, businesses, districts or neighbourhoods. The project is a Police and Private Industry initiative developed by the City of London Police (CoLP) to raise the public's awareness of counter terrorism issues. Project Griffin can assist the police to forge links with partners and businesses by providing an insight to counter terrorism awareness through organised events, and subsequently maintaining strong working relationships by continuing to engage with them thereafter. The main benefit to this is the extra 'eyes and ears' on the street and the increase and quality of reports received by the police of suspicious activity. The objectives of Project Griffin are to: • Raise public awareness of current terrorism and crime issues; • Share and gather intelligence and information; • Build and maintain effective working relationships and partnerships; • Maintain trust and confidence in the police and other authorities; • Empower people to report suspicious activity and behaviour to the police Jim COOK - Partnershiop Inspector Merton Police.

Project Griffin flyer (140 KB)

CommunitySafe.gov.uk

Merton Council Safer Merton