CommunitySafe.gov.uk

The West Barnes Ward Panel met last week and decided our priorities for the coming 3 months will be controlled drug use, thefts from motor vehicles and burglaries to houses, garages and sheds.
Controlled drug use-we have received reports of drugs being used in the Sir Joseph Hood Memorial Playing Fields car park and area around Shannons Corner.
Thefts from Motor Vehicles- while number plate thefts have lowered there have been several incidents of vans being broken into and tools stolen. These have occurred mainly in the B&Q car park and other car parks on the Wyvern Estate.
Burglary to Houses- we keep this as a priority although we are only averaging 1 a month on the ward. Sgt Chapman arrested a man suspected of committing a burglary in Seaforth Avenue earlier in the year and he has been charged with the offence.
Burglaries to Garages and Sheds-there have been a few over the last 3 months with tools again being targeted.
Over the next 3 months the team will be working towards preventing and detecting these offences.
Recent news
The Action in Merton Event over Thursday-Friday 22nd/23rd July 2010 arranged by Merton Borough Council was a success with several departments from the council, NHS, parental support groups and the Police attending the area around Shannons Corner. A ‘Payback’ group was arranged to paint over the graffiti in Blagdons Alley. Street cleaning teams have also been in the area clearing dumped waste and other graffiti.
On the Thursday the West Barnes Safer Neighbourhood Team contributed by running an Automatic Number Plate Recognition operation on Burlington Road resulting in 2 vehicles being seized having been driven without insurance. Three further penalty notices were issued. While this was going on officers from other Safer Neighbourhood Teams patrolled the area handing out vehicle crime prevention letters to visitors to the Wyvern Industrial Estate and local residents. The following day we conducted a joint operation with Trading Standards speaking to all the traders we found in the area and checking they were abiding by the relevant legislation. No rogue traders were found but following information passed on by trading standards that day a company was given an on the spot fine of £300 by the Council Enforcement Team for leaving building waste in Elm Walk.
New Initiative: Meet the Streets
Reported Crime across the Metropolitan District is on the decrease however, the “Fear of Crime” is still ever present and tackling this is seen as one of our greatest ongoing challenges. The Safer Neighbourhoods strategy continues to develop excellent communication links within the community, and reassure the public of the continued work of your SNT to combat crime/anti-social behaviour. To this end Merton Police have created a strategy with the objective of visiting every household and retail business premises on the Ward over the next 12-24 months period. The aim is to increase awareness of the SNT’s and our ongoing work and success’s, enhance communication links, advise residents of established Neighbourhood Watch groups or start one if the street is not covered, and continue the CommunitySafe project.
West Barnes SNT will be starting this strategy shortly. In the forthcoming weeks the team will be rolling out the Meet the Street initiative in Belmont, Cavendish, Consfield, Byron, Cobham and Stanley Avenues.
The next drop-in surgery that the team are holding is at Krispy Kreme, Burlington Road on 24th August 2010 between 11 and 12am.
If you would like to contact the team about any matter then please use one of the methods below.
Sgt Graham Chapman
West Barnes Safer Neighbourhood Team
0208 721 2454
email: westbarnes.snt@met.police.uk
Crime Stoppers Confidential Reporting Number 0800 555 111

Merton Police have launched 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 on other wards 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.
NEW REPORTING LINE FOR VICTIMS AND WITNESSES OF HATE CRIME
Tackling hate crime is a priority for Merton, which is why Merton has teamed up with Stop Hate UK to provide emotional and practical support for anyone, who has experienced hate crime.
Whatever your age, race, disability, sexual orientation or whether you are transgender, no one has the right to intimidate, hurt or harass you because they perceive you to be different.
Merton defines a hate crime as a ‘criminal offence which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on a person’s actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, race, religion or disability’.
If you feel you have been a victim of this crime you can report it to Stop Hate UK 24 hours a day. Stop Hate UK are an independent charity and everything you tell them is kept confidential. You have the option to remain anonymous if you wish. Stop Hate UK can be contacted by phone, email, text, post and online. Stop Hate UK can speak to victims about hate crime in their preferred language if required.

Telephone: 0800 138 1625
Website: www.stophateuk.org
Email: talk@stophateuk.org

The team continues to work with the local community and visitors to West Barnes Ward to ensure public safety and West Barnes continues to be one of the safest wards in London. If you have any concerns re crime or Anti Social Behaviour please contact the team on 0208 721 2454 or email WestBarnes.SNT@met.police.uk

Sgt Graham Chapman 54VW

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

Quite a lengthy news letter this month so I’ve split it into two sections. The first is an update of what has been happening on the ward. The second contains useful information about where to register valuable property, a Police consultation process and the final initiative under the ‘Drive Out’ programme.

WARD NEWS
Sgt Chapman assisted in the arrest of another male for theft of number plates. These types of crimes have lowered on the ward but not yet stopped completely. At present the trend is to target vans and other vehicles where tools have been stolen.
House burglary has dropped and we have only had one report of a house being entered this month. There has been other activity around houses though with a shed and a garage broken into. We have noticed an increase in the number of trades people cold-calling at houses touting for work where these thefts have occurred. We have conducted a letter drop in these streets with crime prevention advice.
PCSO Glackin has arranged for the 22nd Scout Group to help tidy an elderly resident’s garden that had come to our notice as neighbours were concerned about the cold callers at their address offering services. If you know of any others who would benefit from this or if you are involved in a group that could assist in a similar way then please contact us.
PCSO Glackin assisted at the British Transport Police operation targeting drivers jumping the red lights at the level crossing on West Barnes Lane by the Earl Beatty Pub. Numerous drivers were reported for the offence over the day.
Sgt Chapman and PCSO Clargo attended a Tamil Cultural Event at Coombe Boys School. As well as increasing our knowledge of the community we work for this was a good opportunity to meet people from the area and arrange future initiatives. For example the roads on the ward near the A3 have limited Neighbourhood Watch coverage and it is hoped that attending such events a co-ordinator for the streets can be found. Once the co-ordinator is identified the rest fits into place easily.
The area around the A3 at Shannons Corner is going to be looked at on the 6th July as part of the Action in Merton scheme which involves the council and other agencies looking at a particular area to see how it can be improved. PCSO Clargo is involved in the process so if you have any suggestions then please contact us and he will pass them on.
USEFUL INFORMATION
A useful website for residents to register the IMEI number of their mobile telephone is the Immobilise website www.immobilise.com. When police come into contact with people with phones that cannot be accounted for or are otherwise suspicious the IMEI number will be run through this system. When there is a phone found on the system this allows police to contact the loser and ensure offenders are prosecuted. The website can be used to register other valuable property; basically anything with a serial number can be entered. You can check the IMEI number on your phone by pressing *#06# .
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 your 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.
DRIVE OUT VEHICLE CRIME
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.

The West Barnes Team continues to work hard in your area. For any further information please contact your local Safer Neighbourhoods Team as detailed below.
Graham Chapman
PS 54VW
West Barnes Safer Neighbourhood Team
0208 721 2454
email: westbarnes.snt@met.police.uk

Update on our Priorities
House Burglary- There has only been one house attacked over the last month. Late one evening ground floor windows were broken to gain access to the rear of a house in Seaforth Avenue. Nothing believed to have been taken. On looking at surrounding areas there have been several of these types of break in around the New Malden area but so far this is the only one reported to us on our area.
The Marina Avenue gating project run by PCSO Glackin is gaining momentum with the council willing to fund 45% of the costs. However this comes with the proviso that all residents support the installation of the gate and we are still waiting for some replies.
Raynes Park High School- The process of creating a youth panel was started by PCSO Clargo with the first meeting between pupils and the Safer Neighbourhood Teams last month. Their highest concerns were bullying and stop and search. Further meetings with the remaining years are planned for later on this term. Residents in Barnscroft and Westway Close were surveyed to establish what concerns they have and these will be fed back through the panel.
Burlington Road- There was a slight increase in vehicle crime in the first half of May with the roads near the A3 having the most activity. We have suspended the environmental work in the area and are concentrating on patrols around these roads. A man has been arrested on suspicion of stealing number plates. He has not been charged but is on Police bail while further enquiries are made.

Other News
On Friday 14th May PC Worthy helped organise a joint operation with British Transport Police with everyone leaving Motspur Park train station having their fares checked. 62 Fare offences were detected with 20 full stop and account/searches being conducted. The crime which occurs on the ward is predominantly committed by people living outside the area and travelling in.
PCSO Glackin arranged for the dog section to visit the Brownies and Girl Guides at Holy Cross. They were shown a demonstration of the type of work the dogs were involved.

Up and Coming Events
What: Drop-in surgery
When: 02/06/2010 - 11:00 - 12:30
Where: Tesco, 300 Beverley Way
What: Vehicle Security Checks
When: 05/06/2010 - 09:00-13:00
Where: Tesco Car Park
What: Drop-in surgery
When: 16/06/2010 - 19:00 - 20:30
Where: B&Q Foyer, Shannon Commercial Centre
What: Drop-in surgery
When: 24/06/2010 - 10:00 - 11:00
Where: Bon Bonnies, West Barnes Lane

Graham Chapman
PS 54VW
West Barnes Safer Neighbourhood Team
0208 721 2454
email: westbarnes.snt@met.police.uk

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.

AND DON’T FORGET THE BELOW EVENT

Come and get your vehicle security checked as part of an ongoing campaign to drive out vehicle crime in the Borough of Merton.
When: Saturday 5th June 2010 between 0900 - 1300 hours.
Where: Tesco’s Car Park, Beverley Way, New Malden
The Raynes Park and West Barnes Safer Neighbourhoods teams will be carrying out security checks of the cars and will suggest measures to keep vehicles safe.
The event will also include:
Autoglass - Window etching and offering free windscreen health checks.

Graham Chapman
PS 54VW
West Barnes Safer Neighbourhood Team
0208 721 2454
email: westbarnes.snt@met.police.uk

Come and get your vehicle security checked as part of an ongoing campaign to drive out vehicle crime in the Borough of Merton.
When: Saturday 5th June 2010 between 0900 - 1300 hours.
Where: Tesco’s Car Park, Beverley Way, New Malden
The Raynes Park and West Barnes Safer Neighbourhoods teams will be carrying out security checks of the cars and will suggest measures to keep vehicles safe.
The event will also include:
Autoglass - Window etching and offering free windscreen health checks.
Professional advice will be available on all aspects of potential vehicle crime and criminality including number plate security.
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.”
For any further information please contact your local Safer Neighbourhoods Team on the details listed below.
Graham Chapman
PS 54VW
West Barnes Safer Neighbourhood Team
0208 721 2454
email: westbarnes.snt@met.police.uk

The West Barnes Team continues to work hard to provide long term solutions to problems on the ward.
House Burglary
The project to gate the alley between Marina Ave and West Barnes Lane continues with all relevant parties being contacted for permission to install such a gate. All the home owners have been written to and all the shops spoken to. We are awaiting responses before progressing the matter. There has only been one further house attacked since the last update with the front door damaged at an address in Barnard Gardens. No property was taken and it is not known how far entry was gained into the house.
Raynes Park High School
This will be a joint project by PCSO Clargo from the West Barnes Team and PCSO Cushing from Raynes Park. The school has been approached with our concerns about the lack of engagement with 11-16 year olds. Some suggestions have been made for areas where the PCSOs can help within the school. Meetings with representatives from each year group have been timetabled in to discuss matters which affect them. The residents in the roads around the school will also be approached so their concerns can be raised.
Burlington Road
Concerns over the state of the alleyway which runs between Cavendish Avenue and Claremont Avenue behind the shops on Burlington Road were raised with Merton Council and they sent a team down there to start tidying the area. They are also looking to gate the alley to prevent further dumping.
Other News
There have been no further number plate thefts since the last update. The next initiative under the Drive Out Motor Vehicle crime will be published soon advertising an event happening on the ward in June.
Graham Chapman
PS 54VW
West Barnes Safer Neighbourhood Team
0208 721 2454
email: westbarnes.snt@met.police.uk

The Ward Panel met on Monday 12th April and decided on new priorities for the team. These are youth engagement at Raynes Park High School and problems around Burlington Road. The other matters considered were parking problems around Motspur Park train station, speeding in the 20 mph zones and Grand Drive, Burglary to houses, garages or sheds, and vehicle crime.
We will be keeping House Burglary as a priority anyway because all Merton SNT (Safer Neighbourhood Teams) have been set this by the Borough Senior Management Team.
Raynes Park High School
During the last term there were some incidents where a caravan on a building site was set alight and two bikes were stolen with witnesses believing the pupils were from the School. Also comparing age groups young people are most likely to be the victims of crime and there have been a couple of incidents near Raynes Park train station where people have tried to take the phones off young people. West Barnes SNT and Raynes Park SNT will be working together at the school to be more involved with young people. We are looking to set up a youth panel so we can address their concerns.
Burlington Road
During the street survey on Claremont Avenue residents raised concerns about the amount of litter and dumped material in the alleyway behind the restaurants. There is also some graffiti on the buildings nearer the A3 roundabout and the disused premises are looking very untidy. We don’t want the broken windows scenario to set in where an area that does not appear looked after attracts crime. There has already been an incident where some girls were chased down the road by a group coming out of the alleyway from Barnard Gardens. Our first task will be to conduct a visual audit of the area and canvass the local community to fully establish what the problems are.
House Burglary
Following the reduction in house Burglary across the ward we will now be looking at specific projects in areas. The first is being run by PCSO Glackin. The last attacked premises was reported on the last Community Safe message which was actually a shop in West Barnes Lane where entry was gained by a brick being put through the rear window. PCSO Glackin has surveyed the security to the rear of these shops and houses on Marina Avenue and is now working with the residents to improve security in the area. If you consider a similar scheme would be useful where you live then please contact us.
Other News
Over the last 2 days two cars have had their number plates removed. Both were the stick on type of plate. They were very near each other, one was parked in Consfield Avenue, and the other was Cavendish Avenue. The offenders pulled up in their vehicle, pulled the plates off and were gone in a matter of seconds. We will be doing extra patrols in the area but if you do have these types of plates then we strongly advise they are screwed on with non-returning screws. We have these screws and are able to deliver them to your house.
While I have reported on several crime matters West Barnes remains one of the safest places to live in London. Please contact us if you need any non-emergency help or advice.
Sgt Graham Chapman
0208 721 2454
WestBarnes.SNT@met.police.uk

Back in September 2009 The Ward Panel met and agreed that house burglaries and vehicle crime should be our priorities and we set targets to reduce house burglary by 25% and thefts from motor vehicles by 15% between October and March compared to the following period the previous year. As you will see from the table below we have been successful in significantly reducing house burglaries. The number of thefts from vehicles has also dropped but we did not reach the target.

House Burglary

Month 2008/2009 2009/2010

October 8 3
November 6 5
December 4 5
January 11 1
February 5 3
March 10 2
Total 44 19

Vehicle Crime

Month 2008/2009 2009/2010

October 1 2
November 1 2
December 10 7
January 2 5
February 5 4
March 8 4
Total 27 24

(Figures taken from www.met.police.uk except the March 2010 data which has yet to be published on the site)
This does not mean we are complacent as the crime picked up again at the end of March with the 2 house burglaries and 3 thefts of number plates.
Regarding the burglaries one house was in Westway, the other in Barnard Gardens. Both were entered by smashing a glass window at the rear during the night time hours. One of the hairdressers on West Barnes Lane was also entered recently after a brick was thrown through a front window. The team are changing their hours to do more night patrols to target this. In the meantime you can assist by checking your own security at the rear. Make sure the gates are locked and fencing is topped off with some trellis which will snap if someone tries to climb over. Also make sure there are no heavy loose items such as bricks or garden tools left in the garden which can be used to break a window.
On a more positive note following the crime alert about 2 people pretending to be social workers entering elderly people’s houses 2 people have been arrested and there have been no further burglaries of this type on the Borough.
The number plate thefts occurred in Blakes Terrace, Westway Close and Stanley Avenue. We still have special number plate screws which help prevent theft if you have not got yours yet. Also now available are the ‘don’t bother kits’ which are basically some information and a set of stickers advising no valuables have been left in the car. We can deliver all this to your house when next in your road.
Other Team News
The West Barnes SNT joined up with St Helier and Lower Morden Teams to conduct saturation patrols across the ward using a van and foot patrols. This resulted in three suspicious men stopped on our ward and we were involved in the arrest of a drunken man when we assisted the other teams on their wards.
PC Worthy arrested a man for assault and he is currently on Police bail while the matter is investigated further.
Graham Chapman
PS 54VW
0208 721 2454
Email: westbarnes.snt@met.police.uk

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 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. 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.
Sgt Graham Chapman
West Barnes Safer Neighbourhood Team
0208 721 2454
WestBarnes.SNT@met.police.uk

It appears that a duo of Artifice/Distraction burglars have been preying on elderly victims across London. They have visited Merton Borough and targeted the area around Morden. While there have not been any on West Barnes ward it is possible they could come our way.
Their modus operandi is to let the victims believe that they are care workers and are invited in. On most occasions it’s the female that enters the venue.

Suspect descriptions:

White Female
Approximate age 25-35 years
Height 5’7” to 5’9”
Slim Build
Long/Shoulder length Brown Hair
English accent

White Male
Approximate age 35-40
Height 5’7” to 6’0”
Short dark brown hair
English accent

Please check in on any elderly relatives, friends and neighbours and warn them not to let anyone from social services in unless they already have an appointment with them or they are sure the call is genuine. MERTON SOCIAL SERVICES ADULT TEAM CAN BE CONTACTED ON 0208 545 4430 TO CHECK IF ONE OF THEM IS DUE TO CALL AT YOUR HOUSE.
If you have any information that can assist the investigation then please call the Burglary Investigation Team at Wimbledon Police Station via the Met switchboard on 0300 123 1212 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Thank you for your assistance.
Sgt Graham Chapman 54VW
WestBarnes.SNT@met.police.uk
0208 721 2454

TEAM NEWS
The team along with Police Cadets, Special Constables, Licensing Officers and supported by other Safer Neighbourhood Teams conducted a test purchase operation on all the shops selling alcohol on the ward. The 16 year old cadets entered the shops and tried to buy the alcohol. With the Easter holidays approaching I am pleased to say none of the shops on the ward served the youths.
We have also been conducting vehicle speed checks on West Barnes Lane and Claremont Avenue.
As well as targeting the specific objective of the operation such as licensing and speeding these operations also support the burglary and vehicle crime prevention strategies by putting a lot of officers on the ward. Anyone travelling through with ill intent will see this and be put off from the area.
BURGLARY AND VEHICLE CRIME UPDATE
No further house burglaries have been reported on the ward since 11/02/10. Vehicle Crime has lowered again. Of note a car was stolen from Tennyson Avenue on 13/3/10. This is the first car to have been taken from the ward for quite a long time.
FREE FOOTBALL COACHING
Met Tracks (free professional athletic coaching for 10-17 year olds) is being re launched in the borough on Thursday 25th March at 4pm until 5.30pm at The Hub, Tooting and Mitcham FC, Bishopsford Road, Morden. The sessions are aimed at a group of 20 in total and run every Thursday 4-5.30pm including school holidays…and is free! Please visit www.met-track.com for further details.
The team continues to work with the local community and visitors to West Barnes Ward to ensure public safety and West Barnes continues to be one of the safest wards in London. If you have any concerns re crime or Anti Social Behaviour please contact the team on 0208 721 2454 or email WestBarnes.SNT@met.police.uk
Sgt Graham Chapman
54VW

Things have picked up on the ward in February with a slight rise in vehicle crime and burglary.
Of note for burglary there has been the first letter box burglary on the ward for a long time. This is where during the night hours someone has put their hand through the letter box and reached in to unlock the door. If they cannot reach the keys directly they will use a tool to hook them. They then usually take small electronic goods from downstairs and leave with the car from the house.
While quite alarming there is very rarely any confrontation and it can easily be prevented by keeping your keys out of sight from the front door.
If you would like to meet the Borough Commander then please see the advert below
Sgt Graham Chapman
West Barnes Safer Neighbourhood Teams.
0208 721 2454 or WestBarnes.SNT@met.police.uk

Face the Public

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

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. WE WILL DELIVER THEM TO YOUR ADDRESS IF YOU CONTACT US. For further crime reduction advice contact your local Safer Neighbourhood Team.
For any further information please contact your local West Barnes Safer Neighbourhood Team via the main Met Police website, by telephone on 0208 721 2454 or by e-mail: westbarnes.snt@met.police.uk
Graham Chapman
PS 54VW

House Burglary

PCSOs Tom Clargo, Nicola Glackin and Michelle Cooper have walked many miles across the ward. While passing buildings they look for insecurities. During the 3 months measuring 25/10/09 to 25/01/10, 80 premises were found by them to be vulnerable and the owners were contacted about improving security. During this time 9 house burglaries and 1 attempted burglary were reported. This compares to the same period for the year before where 16 house burglaries and 2 attempted burglaries were reported. This is a drop of 43% in house burglary.
If you would like to speak to us about your home security then please contact us using one of the methods below. All the PCSOs are trained in providing security advice and are more than happy to arrange a time to visit.

Theft from Vehicles

I’m pleased to report a sharp increase in the take up of tamper proof number plate screws with approximately 40 sets being delivered to households. We still have more to give out so please contact us if you would like some. They are FREE. We have even fitted them to some of the vehicles for our more senior residents. So far there have been no number plate thefts in February. There has been other vehicle crime where unattended vehicles were left unlocked or had property on show. Please don’t give the opportunist passing thief the chance they are looking for.

These are our ward priorities for crime. Following contact from residents and other community members we are looking into reports of dangerous parking, dog fouling on pavements, underage drinking, pupil safety after school, noisy neighbours and other types of neighbour disputes to name but a few. If you have any concerns in your area please contact us at westbarnes.snt@met.police.uk or on 0208 721 2454. The team are on duty this weekend (20th and 21st Feb). Or visit us at our next drop-in-surgery
11/03/2010 - 15:30 - 17:00 at Motspur Park Library, Station Road

Sgt Graham Chapman

Reporting terrorist material online February 2010

We're providing members of the public with information about what they can do if they come across violent extremist, terrorist and hate content online.
The new webpage on Directgov (www.direct.gov.uk/en/CrimeJusticeAndTheLaw/Counterterrorism/DG_183993) will include a form for people to report suspected terror-related and violent extremist websites to the police.
The pilot scheme aims to make the internet a more hostile environment for terrorists and violent extremists who seek to exploit modern technology. If a website meets the threshold for illegal content, officers can exercise powers under section 3 of the Terrorism Act 2006 to take it down.

What can be reported? Illegal terrorism content Any information that is intended to be useful to terrorists is illegal, including:
bomb-making instructions
guides to making poisons
instructions on how to make weapons
guides to targets.
Illegal violent extremist content Some violent extremist content is also illegal. This might include:
videos of beheadings with messages of ‘glorification’ or praise for the attackers
speeches or essays calling for racial or religious violence
messages intended to stir up hatred against any religious or ethnic group
chat forums with postings calling for people to commit acts of terrorism.
Illegal hate content The content of a website is illegal when it threatens or harasses a person or a group of people because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or gender identity. That could be in words, pictures, videos, and even music.
Illegal hate content might include:
messages calling for racial or religious violence
web pages that show pictures, videos or descriptions of violence against people due to their race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity
chat forums where people ask other people to commit hate crimes.

Graham Chapman
PS 54VW
West Barnes Safer Neighbourhood Team
0208 721 2454
email: westbarnes.snt@met.police.uk

January Crime Update

Priority 1: House Burglary

There has been only 1 house burglary reported across the ward in January. This occurred in Westway on 27/1/10. The occupants believe the back door was accidentally left unlocked and someone went in and conducted an untidy search of the upstairs rooms. This occurred between 9am and 5pm.

Priority 2: Theft from motor vehicles.

There have been 2 reports in January. The first overnight on the 5/1/10 when the number plates from a car parked in Marina Avenue were taken. The second occurred on the 29/1/10 when a laptop was stolen from the rear seat of a car parked in the B&Q car park. The offender drilled out the door lock.

Please be re-assured by how low this as there are approximately 9500 people living on the ward.

Police Operation on the Ward

On 27/1/10 an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) Operation was conducted on Burlington Road near to Tesco by the West Barnes and Dundonald Safer Neighbourhood Teams. This is one of the best tools for catching people involved in crime as we will either come across a vehicle which has directly been involved in crime and the occupants are arrested or the driver has no driving documents as people involved in acquisitive crime often are not willing to pay for insurance or tax for their car.
Numerous cars were stopped with one being seized and 4 drivers dealt with for document offences.

Our next drop in surgeries will be

Wed 3rd Feb 10-11am at Bon Bonnies, West Barnes Lane
Wed 10th Feb 7-8.30pm at B&Q Foyer
Thur 11th Mar 3.30-5pm Motspur Park Library, Station Road

Sgt Graham Chapman

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.

SPECIFICALLY FOR THE WEST BARNES WARD THERE WAS A SPATE OF NUMBER PLATE THEFTS BEFORE CHRISTMAS. WHILE ONLY ONE HAS SO FAR BEEN REPORTED IN JANUARY, NEIGHBOURING WARDS HAVE SUFFERED SOME.

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. WE WILL DELIVER THEM AND UV PENS FOR PROPERTY MARKING TO YOUR HOUSE IF YOU CONTACT US.

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

Graham Chapman
PS 54VW
0208 721 2454
email: westbarnes.snt@met.police.uk

Today the Safer Neighbourhood Team received a report of suspicious behaviour on Greenway. This occurred on Monday 18th Jan at approximately 6pm. Two men were seen by the front of a house and when asked if they needed help by a neighbour the men left the area quickly. Their descriptions are

1- a white man, mid 30s, slight build, 5’6 to 5’8 feet tall, short hair wearing a dark puffer jacket and jeans or casual trousers.
2- a white man, 35-40 years old, shaggy hair and was carrying a carrier bag.

We are also investigating the circumstances of how a front door was damaged at an address in Grand Drive on Thursday 14th Jan.

These are the first reports of any house burglary activity in the ward for the month of January showing West Barnes Ward remains one of the safest areas of London. If you have any information regarding the above then please contact us.

We are always happy to receive calls about suspicious or strange behaviour. If you see some people out of place on your road then as the lady above demonstrated, a safe way of challenging them is just by asking if they need any help, showing them they have been seen. They stopped what they were doing and left the area.

Sgt Graham Chapman
westbarnes.snt@met.police.uk
0208 721 2454

The Ward Panel met on Monday 18th January and agreed 3 priorities for the Safer Neighbourhood Team for the next 3 months. We are still keeping ‘House Burglaries’ and ‘Theft from Motor Vehicles’ as current ongoing priorities and also have a new one for ‘Community Engagement’.

West Barnes Safer Neighbourhood Team is based at Alliance House in Prince Georges Road, Raynes Park but there is no shop front making it difficult for people to drop in. To increase the accessibility of the team we will advertise specific venues where we will be on the ward where anyone can drop in to see us to talk about any matter they choose. The dates and venues will be advertised on the internet, on community safe and at the venue itself. The next 2 are

1pm-2pm Thursday 21st January 2010 at Motspur Park Library, Station Road

10am-11am Wednesday 3rd February 2010 at Bon Bonnies, West Barnes Lane

If you would like to get more involved with us and become a Ward Panel Member then please contact us and we will pass your details to the chair of the panel to discuss the role. The panel meets once every 3 months and a description of the role taken from the Met Police website can be seen below

"A ward is a neighbourhood within your borough. Each ward has a dedicated Safer Neighbourhoods team. Each ward has a panel made up of members of the community who live or work within that ward. This panel meets regularly to discuss the concerns facing the local community around crime and anti-social behaviour, and sets the priorities the local police team will tackle. They also get involved in working with the police team and local partner agencies such as the council to find lasting solutions to these priorities".

Other ways to get involved are listed on the Merton Borough pages on the Met Police Website.

Sgt Graham Chapman
Westbarnes.snt@met.police.uk
0208 721 2454

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.

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.

To kick off this initiative we have free UV pens to mark the property you have in the car. If you would like one please contact us and we will deliver it when next in your street.

The main problem we have on West Barnes are number plates being stolen. There have been 4 sets of number plates taken over the last month. We currently have a limited supply of tamper proof screws to give out with more being delivered in February. Please again let us know if you would like any of these.

For any further information please contact West Barnes Safer Neighbourhood Team via the main Met Police website by telephone 0208 721 2454 or by e-mail at westbarnes.snt@met.police.uk.

If you know anyone who wishes to become a member of Community safe to sign up to free crime alerts and news of what your local safer Neighbourhood Team is up to please get them to contact us direct or join via www.communitysafe.gov.uk.

Graham Chapman
PS 54VW

Appeal for Information following an incident around the Elm Walk and Heath Drive area.

Sometime between the evening of Friday 18th December and Saturday Morning on the 19th December a pet tabby cat was shot with a metal pellet. This caused the animal to suffer 2 broken bones in her foot as well as other injuries.

This caused the animal a lot of distress and the family are very upset following the incident.

If you have any information about this or any other similar incidents then please contact the West Barnes Safer Neighbourhood Team on 0208 721 2454 or email westbarnes.SNT@met.police.uk. We have not had any other reports of this nature and would like to stop it from happening again.

Many thanks for your help in the matter.

Sgt Graham Chapman 54VW