CommunitySafe.gov.uk

Merton Police are conducting 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.
St Helier is not a burglary hotspot

Whilst the number of burglary offences across the Borough remain relatively low, there has been a recent rise in the number of opportunist burglaries where entry has been gained through open windows and unlocked doors. Many of these could be avoided. Residents are reminded to lock doors and windows when they go out, to keep ground floor doors and windows closed and secure when they go to bed and not to leave expensive and valuable items in view of passers by. Simple measures and some extra care will go along way to preventing you from becoming a victim of burglary.
A simple measure can be securing your shed with a good quality padlock and keep tools locked away and out of sight to prevent them being used AGAINST YOUR OWN PROPERTY.
People spend hundreds of pounds on tools and bikes then secure them with a padlock that would be more at home on a suitcase.

The number of burglaries on St Helier has fallen for the second half of the first 6 months of this year.
From the 1st April to the 30th June analysis shows that there were 9 substantive burglaries and 2 attempted. The worrying statistic is in 56% of these cases entry was gained via an UNLOCKED rear door which would suggest motives were more opportunistic than planned out. We need residents/occupiers to ensure that they are making best efforts to keep there homes secure and their property their own.
These figures are low but we can reduce them further with relatively easy measures.
I attended an an address to conduct an arrest enquiry, the front door was unlocked and the rear doors were wide open, on returning the occupier said it was ok because she had only been gone 5 minutes, on this occasion it made my job a lot easier but an opportunist burglar would have felt the same.

If you have any information about criminal activity or you think you may have been offered stolen goods then CONTACT US. We have a proven track record in conducting pro-active operations and have recovered numerous different items from such early morning raids but we need information to take to a magistrates court to enable us to do these pro-active jobs. We can look at the information, attempt to corroborate it and take action where necessary. Your information will be treated confidentially.
We will continue to patrol affected areas using intelligence led policing, we will utilise plain clothes and will also periodically adjust shifts to cover night time and the early hours of the morning to disrupt criminal activity and deter offenders.

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”. 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.

Regards

Richard PS36VW and the St Helier Team

0208 649 3575
MertonSt Helier.SNT@met.police.uk
In an emergency always dial 999

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

Merton - Driving out vehicle crime

Hello all
We are focussing a lot of our attention on vehicle crime including high visibility patrols and use of publicity material to deter would be offenders. We have conducted pro active operations where stolen property from vehicles has been recovered and continue to contact owners of vulnerable vehicles where property has been left inside but we need everybody to assist by not leaving items on show inside vehicles and to report suspicious incidents/persons to us with a decsription if possible. If you see somebody who you believe may be targeting parked vehicles then dial 999.

June 2010
DRIVE OUT VEHICLE CRIME
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 by contacting your local Safer Neighbourhood Team.
If you would like to speak to St Helier Safer Neighbourhood Team regarding vehicle crime or anything relating to crime or anti social behaviour on St Helier Ward please do not hesitate to contact us on 0208 649 3575 if your call is of an urgent nature or you need police assistance immediately please call 999.

Regards

Richard ANDERSON PS36VW
St Helier Safer Neighbourhood Team

Hello all

We are working very hard to combat car crime on the ward, it is one of our priorities as set by the ward panel.

April 2010
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 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.

We will be running a motor vehicle roadshow on May 18th outside the Green Lane Parade of shops between 10am-2pm where we can give or fit tamper proof screws which will prevent an opportunist from taking your number plates.
We have cleaning kits to remove marks left by sat nav suckers, as well as the dont bother kits as described above.
Please ensure that NO items are left on display, a vehicle was broken into recently because there was a small amount of loose change on display.
We continue to contact owners who have left iems on display through our vulnerable vehicle scheme.
Signs have gone up in areas on the ward which have been subject to car crime giving security advice and state plain clothes officers are working in the area.

Any problems as always please dont hesitate to contact us, if you cannot attend the roadshow call or email and we will supply above crime prevention items to your home address.

If you have any information on suspects committing or handling property from car crime please contact us on 0208 649 3575 or email MertonStHelier.snt@met.police.uk
as always your call will be confidential

Regards

Richard ANDERSON PS 36VW and the St Helier Team

St Helier Community Safe Update 27th March 2010

The St Helier Safer Neighbourhood Team held our ward panel meeting with local residents. After crime figures were presented it was decided that the team priorities for the following 2 months will be.
• Burglary
• Theft from Motor Vehicles
• Theft of Pedal Cycles

Burglary
St Helier Officers have continued to patrol the ward and are carrying out home security surveys whereby we notify residents of certain things that have been left visible or where a particular home security risk is seen. We plan to cover the entire ward. Both uniform and plain clothes officers are conducting burglary patrols in our area.
Can all residents be made aware that a woman is knocking on doors stating she is working for social services. The female has then gained access to the property and once inside has stolen money and valuables. The elderly and vulnerable are being particularly targeted. ASK FOR IDENTIFICATION of anybody coming to your door with whom you are unfamiliar with, IF IN DOUBT DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR. If you see anybody suspicious call the police.

Motor vehicle crime
We continue to contact owners of vehicles who have left valuables on display or sat nav cradles, charging cables. We have contacted in the region of 500 owners regarding their vehicle which may be at risk. We currently have a small amount of cleaning cloths available useful for sucker marks and UV pens that are available to our residents. We also have anti-theft number plate screws ALL FREE!!!!!

Theft of pedal cycles
There has been an increase in theft of pedal cycles on the ward. Please make sure that your bike is securely locked when unattended. Opportunists are taking bikes where the owner has just “left it for a second” We can cycle mark bicycles at our green lane police office. Just phone and arrange a time.

St Helier is a safe ward we have one of the lowest instances of burglary on the borough. Acting on the above advice will further ensure that you are not a victim of crime.

The St Helier Safer Neighbourhood Team recently conducted a pro active operation in Flaxley Road assisted by additional officers from Lower Morden and the Criminal Investigation Department. A warrant was obtained at Wimbledon Magistrates Court and entry was gained by officers using an enforcer hand ram. Four occupants were arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance after an as yet unidentified white substance was recovered during a thorough search of the address. The occupants were interviewed regarding this at Wimbledon Police Station and have been bailed pending laboratory analysis of the substance.

If you see anything suspicious or have any information regarding criminal activity in our area call our ward mobile on 0208 649 3575 or email us at MertonStHelier.snt@met.police.uk
We will research and act upon any information received regarding criminal activity. You do not have to leave your details if you do not wish to.
In an emergency dial 999

Regards until our next update

The St Helier Safer Neighbourhood Team

St Helier Ward up date 26/02/2010

On Thursday 18th Feb 2010, St Helier team assisted with other Morden officers carried out an Automatic Number Plate Recognition operation in Morden. Over 20 vehicles where stopped for various offences.

MOTOR VEHICLE CRIME

The team continue to complete High Visibility Patrols throughout the Ward and highlighting vehicles with valuables left in them. A number of visitors to the last ward surgery were given leaflets with crime prevention and also number plate screws.

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 Road show through the year or by contacting your local Safer Neighbourhood Team.

BURGLARY

St Helier Officers have continued to patrol the ward carrying out home security surveys we have noticed certain things while we have been out.
: Ladders have been left out
: Back gates unlocked
: Windows left open
: Keys left in windows or back doors
If we have noticed this it is possible that a burglar could to!

Protect your home:
Most burglaries are carried out by opportunist thieves. In around 20% of all burglaries, they don't even have to use force. They enter through an open door or window.
Safe and secure: Reduce the risk of your home being burgled by taking these simple (and often inexpensive) precautions
Fit strong locks to external doors and windows, and make sure they are locked. Never leave spare keys in easy hiding this will be where they look first.
Remove the keys and keep them out of sight and in a safe place.
Make sure the doors and frames are strong and in good condition.
Consider fitting a letterbox cage to prevent thieves from reaching through to open the door.
Fit a door chain or bar and door viewer (spy-hole). Use them every time someone calls. Don't leave door chain or bar on all the time in case you need to get out in an emergency.

If you see anything suspicious or have any information regarding criminal activity in our area call our ward mobile on 0208 649 3575 or email us at MertonStHelier.snt@met.police.uk
In an emergency dial 999
St Helier Safer Neighbourhood Team.....

The Teams Priorities as set by the ward panel are

1. Burglary
2. Speeding/Road safety
3. Anti social behaviour

Updates on Ward Priority

Burglary:
We have been working on the Burglary priority running such events as property marking days and door to door enquiries we are currently carrying out Home security surveys across the ward. Checking such things as:

Insecure, open or vulnerable windows.
Insecure or open front doors
Mail or news left in letterbox.
Ladders left insecure.
Insecure or open side or back doors.

Speeding/Road safety

We continue to carry out community speed watch operation monthly with great results the idea behind this is to educate rather than targeting motorists we believe by stopping the speeding motorists and giving them a warning letter the message it’s getting through.
On our patrols Police warning notifications are given to vehicles not displaying road tax which results in a possible fine of up to £1000 information is passed to the DVLA of such vehicles.
St Helier is running an ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) operation in the coming months this will send a clear message to any motorist that is driving a vehicle with no insurance. The outcome for anyone caught will be £200 fine and 6 points on their licence and also the seizure of their vehicle

Anti social behaviour
We have been informed that youths are congregating by the shops waiting for over 18’s to purchase alcohol and also cigarettes. May we remind residents that it is an offence to purchase items on their behalf which will be dealt with by a Penalty Notice for Disorder an £80 fine. Officers will be working in plan cloths and in uniform to combat this issue.

Regularly the team runs a test purchasing operation going to all of our licensed premises using the police cadets. We use the cadets to test the shops to see if that they are selling to underage. For the places that fail the person selling is given a £80 fine and also the licensee is advised and warned that they could lose their licence. We believe this is a great way in combating ASB because youth will generally congregate were they believe that it is an easy place to purchase under age.

The message below is from officers setting up Joint ward initiative for dog walkers of the Morden parks.

Dog Watch:

Our aims of dog watch?

Firstly we wanted to try and get as many people involved in the scheme as possible so that they have access to our ward details with the effect that if they do see crime and disorder they can either contact us directly or if it’s an emergency dial 999.
Secondly we felt it was a great way for dog walkers to report things like vandalism, graffiti, abandoned vehicles, ASB, underage drinking, problem dogs and to promote sensible dog ownership!
As you know your self, even things like litter and graffiti can cause a negative impact on the area and this always attracts more of the same problems until it becomes a place where the general public don’t feel safe to walk or spend time with there families.

Meetings

I have already put together a few people who would be will to attend the meetings. For the benefit of the members, we have a dog nutrient expert, a professional dog trainer, and members of the MPS dog section, who are willing to talk at the meeting.
For our benefit, I will attend the meetings, along with members of surrounding teams to report policing issues within the parks. And feedback as to whether these issues are getting better or worse?? And also what we can do to stop these issues and how we can make people in the parks feel safer.

For more details please contact the below officers:
Annabel Rayner Sharon Reilly
PCSO 7266 VW PCSO 7203VW
Merton Park SNT St Helier SNT
0208 721 2451 0208 649 3575

If you see anything suspicious or have any information regarding criminal activity in our area call our ward mobile on 0208 649 3575 or email us at MertonStHelier.snt@met.police.uk
In an emergency dial 999
St Helier Safer Neighbourhood Team.....

The next ward meetings
• What: Drop-in surgery
When: 06/02/2010 - 18:00 - 20:00
Where: Green lane Police Office
• What: Drop-in surgery
When: 19/02/2010 - 10:30 - 12:30
Where: Green lane Police Office
• What: Drop-in surgery
When: 25/02/2010 - 15:00 - 17:00
Where: Haig Homes small hall at the Lawrence Weaver Institute, Green Lane.

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 your local Safer Neighbourhood Team.

St Helier Safer Neighbourhoods Team

•020 8649 3575 (Non Emergency’s)
•email:mertonsthelier.snt@met.police.uk
•0300 123 1212 the new Met non emergency Number
•In an Emergency please call 999

The next meeting:

What: Drop-in surgery
When: 29/01/2010 - 16:00 - 18:00
Where: Green lane Police Office

Hello and welcome to St Helier Community Safe

I would firstly like to wish everybody a happy new year from the St helier Team

The Teams Priorities as set by the ward panel are
1. Burglary
2. Speeding/Road safety
3.Anti social behaviour

The St Helier Team are continue to conduct burglary patrols in areas that have been affected, we have been conducting 'home security reviews' where premises are checked from the outside to see if there are any obvious security issues i.e. open shed doors or side doors or windows open that could be an easy target for the opportunist thief.
It is very important to remember to ensure that all sheds are secure as in the tools are being taken from them to force access to houses, even if locked an extra padlock serves as a good deterrent. This all the more important if your garden can be seen from an alleyway or road.

On 25th January 2010 between 1430hrs-2100hrs we are holding a property marking day at our Green Lane Police Office, if you bring any hand held devices, mobile phones, sat nav's cameras, mp3 players, games consoles etc we will property mark them. If you are unable to attend but would like us to attend your home to do this or offer crime prevention advice please contact us on our number below or email.

The St Helier Team work very closely with partner agencies, sharing information and pooling resources. We recently conducted an early morning operation with the benefits agency who were investigating fraudulent claims. A woman in her 30's was arrested on suspicion of fraud, documentation seized and she was taken to Wimbledon Police Station and interviewed regarding the allegations. She is currently on bail whilst enquiries are ongoing.

January 2010
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 says, “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 your local Safer Neighbourhood Team via the main Met Police website by telephone or by e-mail.

We continue to identify Vulnerable Vehicles. Where we see property on display in cars/vans we contact the owners to point this out and give crime prevention advice, the number of vehicles we are seeing with property in has reduced but we still need to work on ensuring that vehicles on the ward are not an easy target. We have identified nearly 400 vehicles so far. Bring any valuable items from your vehicles to our property marking day.
We will also have tamper resistant number plate screws for you to use on your vehicles.

If you see anything suspicious or have any information regarding criminal activity in our area call our ward mobile on 0208 649 3575 or email us at MertonStHelier.snt@met.police.uk
In an emergency dial 999

St Helier Safer Neighbourhood Team.....

Hello to all our St Helier Community Safe Members

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

By March 2010 Safer Merton will have completed it's third borough wide Strategic Assessment. This assessment examines all the crimes that have happened in Merton in order to help us set the Partnership's priorities for 2010/11. To help inform this decision making process we would really appreciate your views and for you to tell us what your top three concerns and priorities are in relation to community safety. Below is an email address for a very short form to enable you to provide us with your comments. It should only take a couple of minutes to complete.
www.merton.gov.uk/safermertonconsultation
If you would like any further information about the consultation, please contact the Safer Merton Team on 020 8 274 5971. Alternatively you can email us at safer.merton@merton.gov.uk.

Justice Seen, Justice Done Campaign
Justice Seen, Justice Done is a Home Office Neighbourhood Crime and Justice programme that aims to improve public confidence in how crime is tackled and justice delivered. It’s a national campaign – raising awareness and understanding of what the public can expect from the police and other agencies, making sure local priorities are tackled and demonstrating that there are tough, visible consequences for those who break the law.
During this campaign your local Safer Neighborhoods Team will be informing you of achievements that have occurred in particular in relation to the Ward priorities set by the Ward Panel and also the Policing Pledge.
The campaign is centered on the concept of ‘We Asked, You Said, We Did’ The team will continue to deal with any public suggestions made by residents.

The St Helier team can be contacted either by email MertonStHelier.snt@met.police.uk or telephone 0208 649 3575 in relation to this email or any other matters that are affecting the local community.

Regards

Richard ANDERSON PS36VW

St Helier Safer Neighbourhood Team

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

Hello All

And welcome to our community safe message from your St Helier Safer Neighbourhoods Team.

The week commencing 26th October 2009 St Helier Safer Neighbourhoods Team successfully applied for two search warrants at Wimbledon Magistrates Court as a result of information received about suspected drug activity in the local area.

The warrants were executed simultaneously at 06:30hrs and 20+ officers were employed on the operation. Assisting us were Method of Entry officers who used specialised hydraulic equipment to gain entry to premises, Task force officers, Specialist Drugs Search Dogs and CID officers.
At one warrant an 18 year old man was arrested for drug offences and also on suspicion of handling stolen goods and taken to Wimbledon police station. The man is currently on bail awaiting further investigation of the offence.
At the second warrant a 22 year old man was arrested for drugs offences and on suspicion of handling stolen goods and a 21 year old woman was arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods. They were taken to separate police stations and are currently on bail while investigations are progressed.
This is an excellent example of how information received by the Safer Neighbourhood Team has led to pro-active operations and I would continue to urge anybody with information on suspected criminal activities to contact us. We will research information and where corroborated or sufficient grounds exist we will conduct similar operations.

On 5th November St Helier Safer Neighbourhoods officers responding to an emergency call attended Morden Hall Park where adjacent to the garden centre they detained and arrested a 25 year old man on suspicion of Burglary and being on enclosed premises for an unlawful purpose. He was interviewed regarding the circumstances and is currently on police bail.

One of our ward priorities is Burglary this was discussed and agreed at our last ward panel meeting. We continue to conduct high visibility patrols in all areas of the ward but use intelligence led policing to concentrate our patrols in areas that are or have been subjected to this offence and use our stop and search powers where sufficient grounds exist. This has had the effect that there have only been two burglaries on the whole of St Helier Ward in the month of October. Our aim is for no burglaries and we would continue to urge all residents to ensure windows and doors are locked and that garden sheds are secured with a padlock. If you see anybody suspicious dial 999 and note down as detailed a description as you can.
If you need crime prevention advice or security marking for your possessions, then please contact us and we will arrange to attend at a convenient time.

IN THE RUN UP TO CHRISTMAS DO NOT LET AN OPPORTUNIST TARGET YOUR HOME. We have operations planned involving police officers in plain clothes, in conjunction with uniformed officers but also need your assistance in making premises on the ward less attractive to those intent on criminal activities. Ensure all gifts are out of sight and that you have recorded serial numbers/model numbers and descriptions of any electrical equipment purchased.

We are running a police surgery on:-
10th November 2009 at the Green Lane Police Office (next to st helier train station) between 2pm and 4pm, come along and discuss any issues you may have or if you wish to discuss or know anything that the local police are doing in the area.

Until the next update

Regards

Richard ANDERSON PS36VW and the St Helier Team

Contact us on
Telephone:- 0208 649 3575
or email:- MertonStHelier.snt@met.police.uk

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)

COMMUNITY CRIME FIGHTERS TRAINING

Are you currently active in your local community e.g. Neighbourhood Watch, tenant association,
Police ward panel member or other community group or organisation ?

If so, we would like to invite you to attend the Community Crime Fighters training day
which will be held on Wednesday 25th November 2009 at the Oval Cricket Ground.

You will get a chance to participate in workshops looking at the Policing Pledge, the tools
and powers councils have to tackle anti social behaviour and neighbourhood crime. You
will also hear about the services available to victims of crime and ASB and learn how to
get the best from your local services.

The event is free of charge and lunch and refreshments are provided.
Assistance with travel costs is also available.

If you are interested in attending, please call the Community Crime Fighters registration
desk on 0800 197 2965 or via www.communitycrimefighters.org.uk and quote booking
reference ccf02.

Please note that this event is open to people over the age of sixteen and not in full time
education.

If anybody requires any further information please dont hesitate to conact me.

Regards

Richard

Richard ANDERSON PS36VW
St Helier Safer Neighbourhood Team
0208 649 3575
MertonStHelier.snt@met.police.uk

Hello and welcome to a crime update from St Helier Safer Neighbourhood team.
From time to time it is necessary to provide St Helier residents updates with information from other wards that may be useful to them. The following message relates to a 47 year old woman served with an ASBO

The police at Merton working in partnership with the London Borough of Merton have successfully served an Anti Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) on 47 year old Ruth Crawford from Mitcham.

Between January 2005 and October 2008, Crawford caused distress and alarm to a number of local residents by knocking on their doors asking for money, usually on the pretence that she needed it for her electricity meter. She often targeted vulnerable, elderly residents claiming to be a neighbour.
On several occasions Crawford would state that she was the victim’s carer so as to gain entry to their property. She would ask for money stating she would pay it back at a later date but never did.

On 11/01/2005 Ruth Crawford went to the house of an 87 year old stating that she was a home help. The victim let her in and Crawford left having stolen the victim’s wallet, £60 and a bus pass.

On 12/03/2005 she attended the address of a 77 year old. She told the victim that she needed money because her electricity had run out. She asked the victim for £30.The victim lent her £2 which Crawford never paid back.

On 17/02/2006 she attended the address of a 93 year old and asked to borrow money. She then stole two purses from the victim and a total of £42.35.

On 09/12/2007 Crawford attended the address of an 84 year old. She told the victim that she was her carer. She gained entry to the victim’s house and left with the victim’s purse and £50.

These are just some of the callous and ruthless crimes carried out by Ruth Crawford and as such have warranted the ASBO being served on her. The conditions of the ASBO are as follows:

Ruth Crawford is prohibited from attending any residential address in the London Borough of Merton and asking the occupant for money unless the address is that of a friend or family member.

If she breaches the prohibitions of her ASBO, she risks arrest and prison. You should report any breach to the police immediately by dialling 999 and telling the operator where you saw Ruth Crawford. You can also contact the Longthornton Safer Neighbourhoods Team on 020 8721 2742 or email the team at Longthornton.snt@met.police.uk

PS Susan Hughes said” I strongly believe that a three year Anti Social Behaviour Order is a necessary option in order to protect others from further anti social acts by Ruth Crawford. Crawford preyed on vulnerable members of the community who believed her lies. By prohibiting Crawford to attend any residential premises unless the venue is that of a friend or family member, will offer victims additional protection. May I take this opportunity to remind residents to never allow strangers in to their home without seeing valid identification first and to never give money to people they don’t know.”

The ASBO expires on 20/02/2012. A photograph has been attached to this message.

Feel free to contact the St Helier Safer Neighbourhood Team on 0208 649 3575 or email us on MertonSthelier.snt@met.police.uk if you have any enquiries in relation to this message or any other issue. If you see this person in suspicious circumstances or in any emergency dial 999.

Regards

Richard ANDERSON PS36VW
St Helier SNT

• RUTH CRAWFORD (67.4 KB) preview

Hello and welcome to a crime update from St Helier Safer Neighbourhood team.
From time to time it is necessary to provide St Helier residents updates with information from other wards that may be useful to them. The following message relates to a 47 year old woman served with an ASBO

The police at Merton working in partnership with the London Borough of Merton have successfully served an Anti Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) on 47 year old Ruth Crawford from Mitcham.

Between January 2005 and October 2008, Crawford caused distress and alarm to a number of local residents by knocking on their doors asking for money, usually on the pretence that she needed it for her electricity meter. She often targeted vulnerable, elderly residents claiming to be a neighbour.
On several occasions Crawford would state that she was the victim’s carer so as to gain entry to their property. She would ask for money stating she would pay it back at a later date but never did.

On 11/01/2005 Ruth Crawford went to the house of an 87 year old stating that she was a home help. The victim let her in and Crawford left having stolen the victim’s wallet, £60 and a bus pass.

On 12/03/2005 she attended the address of a 77 year old. She told the victim that she needed money because her electricity had run out. She asked the victim for £30.The victim lent her £2 which Crawford never paid back.

On 17/02/2006 she attended the address of a 93 year old and asked to borrow money. She then stole two purses from the victim and a total of £42.35.

On 09/12/2007 Crawford attended the address of an 84 year old. She told the victim that she was her carer. She gained entry to the victim’s house and left with the victim’s purse and £50.

These are just some of the callous and ruthless crimes carried out by Ruth Crawford and as such have warranted the ASBO being served on her. The conditions of the ASBO are as follows:

Ruth Crawford is prohibited from attending any residential address in the London Borough of Merton and asking the occupant for money unless the address is that of a friend or family member.

If she breaches the prohibitions of her ASBO, she risks arrest and prison. You should report any breach to the police immediately by dialling 999 and telling the operator where you saw Ruth Crawford. You can also contact the Longthornton Safer Neighbourhoods Team on 020 8721 2742 or email the team at Longthornton.snt@met.police.uk

PS Susan Hughes said” I strongly believe that a three year Anti Social Behaviour Order is a necessary option in order to protect others from further anti social acts by Ruth Crawford. Crawford preyed on vulnerable members of the community who believed her lies. By prohibiting Crawford to attend any residential premises unless the venue is that of a friend or family member, will offer victims additional protection. May I take this opportunity to remind residents to never allow strangers in to their home without seeing valid identification first and to never give money to people they don’t know.”

The ASBO expires on 20/02/2012.

• RUTH CRAWFORD (67.4 KB) preview

Hello and welcome to the St Helier Safer Neighbourhoods Community Safe

Our current ward priorities as agreed by our ward panel are
1. Burglary
2. Speeding
3. Anti Social Behaviour

On 28/05/2009 St Helier SNT carried out the first of their community speed watch operation on Green Lane. SM4. The aim was to identify speeding motorists using an electronic hand held speed camera. During an operation a police officer or a police community support officer radio's to colleagues when a speeding vehicle has been identified. A team of officers further along the road stops the vehicle at a suitable location.
To date officers from the St Helier Safer Neighbourhood team have conducted 4 speeding operations in the ward area. This has resulted in 48 vehicles being stopped for speeding; the drivers were issued with warning letters where appropriate. Three drivers have been reported for having no insurance, one driver reported for using a mobile phone whilst driving, and offences of driving with no license have been identified.

Burglary on St Helier ward has decreased by 25% in the first 6 months of this year compared to the same period last year. We have been conducting high visibility patrols and plain clothes patrols in the areas of Rougement Avenue, Holne Chase, Torrington Way and Rutland drive and the alleyways; in response to 3 burglaries that occurred in January. I would urge residents in this hot weather when they leave their property to close and lock windows. Most burglars are opportunists; don’t make your house an easy target. If you are going on holiday let us know and we will Endeavour to check when on patrol.

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

Upcoming dates for police surgeries at the Green Lane Police office are
15th July 3pm-5pm
22nd July 3pm-5pm
13th Aug 6pm-8pm
Come along and discuss any issues you may have that affect you, a Merton Council housing officer will also be here to answer any queries you may have.

Feel free to contact us on 0208 649 3575, If we are not on duty leave a message or email us at MertonStHelier.snt@met.police.uk
In an emergency dial 999

Regards

Richard ANDERSON PS36VW and the team
PCSO Barry TURNER
PCSO Sharon REILLY
PC Kate EGAN
PCSO Nicholas SMITH
PC Tim MANN

St Helier ward continues to see a decrease in burglaries.

We continue to conduct high visibility patrols both on foot and bicycle and have been engaged in plain clothes patrols of the streets and alleyways.
Yesterday we conducted an operation with trading standards from Merton Council speaking to builders who were working on premises in the St Helier area.

I would just like to relay the following message to ensure that we are all doing as much as we can to deter offenders, the majority of whom are oppotunists.

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

Richard ANDERSON PS36VW

St Helier Safer Neighbourhood

On Wednesday 29th April, local police made a number of arrests as part of a day of action to combat youth violence on the streets of Merton.

The activity was in response to concerns expressed by some in the community regarding violence committed by a few individuals who sometimes operate in groups or gangs.

Activity included two screen arch operations carried out at Wimbledon and Morden train stations. These were led by the Merton Safer Transport Team and Merton Park Safer Neighbourhoods Team working in partnership with the British Transport Police. At Wimbledon, 19 stop and searches were carried out which resulted in five cannabis warnings and two arrests for fare evasion and being wanted on warrant. 25 stop and searches were carried out at Morden. No arrests were made. Weapon sweeps took place at several schools across the borough. This included a perimeter search for weapons. None were found.

Superintendent Graeme Thomson said “Our intention is to prevent harm and enforcement activity will continue in order to target those individuals who are intent on being involved in violent crime. We ensured we consulted with London Borough of Merton Youth Services and have identified opportunities to provide support for parents and diversion activities for young people. The screen arch operations are part of our continued effort to deter and prevent crime on public transport and create a safer environment for young people to move freely. The police in Merton take youth violence seriously and we deal with offenders robustly”.

The day of action resulted in nine arrests. Also seized were two crack pipes, three flick knives, an ornamental knife, an air rifle, two machetes, three ornamental swords and hundreds of pounds in cash.

The above is an example of some of the proactive work that is done in and around Merton borough in response to community concerns. We will act upon information received from members of the public.
If you have any concerns about criminal behaviour or anti socail behaviour contact us the St Helier safer neighbourhood team on 0208 649 3575.
In an emergency dial 999
We have enlisted in region of 300 additional members to community safe in the past month and i am looking forward to sending our news and updates to a wider ward audience.

Regards

Richard ANDERSON PS36VW

Hello all and welcome to our St Helier community safe message

We continue to work closely with colleagues at the Graffiti team, Housing department and anti social behavior teams on issues that have been bought to our attention recently and currently are working on several Anti Social Behavior applications that have in part been possible as a result of information from members of the public.

Our role is not just one of enforcement it is about building community relations and making ourselves accessible and approachable to our ward users.

On Friday 13th February the team went to Morden Primary School in Green Lane. We took two vehicles from the metropolitan police vintage transport fleet, a Rover 827 and a traffic land rover the latter being fitted with air horns and a bell. It gave the children an opportunity to look at the vehicles and play with the lights and the sirens which they enjoyed very much although I'm not sure the neighbors did. PCSO Barry TURNER also took road safety equipment along and demonstrated good practice when using zebra crossings and pedestrian controlled traffic lights. Giving them the opportunity to practice crossing the road, whilst in the safety of their classroom. If you have any events coming up and would like us to come along then drop us an email or call us.

We have listened to residents concerns that they have seen vehicles traveling too quickly and drivers have been on their mobile phones, especially in the Green Lane and Middleton Road areas. In response to this we have issued numerous tickets during the past two weeks to drivers using mobile phones, this is an endorsable offence which means 3 penalty points and an £80 fine. We will listen to your concerns and will do our utmost to act upon them.

We conducted an Automatic Number Plate Recognition operation on 4th February with our colleagues from traffic division and officers from other Safer Neighborhood wards. During this a van with cameras reads the number plates of vehicles and any information of interest to us is relayed back immediately. We stopped vehicles for no insurance and subsequently found drivers with no licenses. The penalty for no insurance is 6 points on a license and a £200 fine.

The move to our new offices in Green Lane is almost upon us and is anticipated for this Friday the 20th February.

Our up and coming street briefings where you can meet us on the reassurance bus are:-
26th February 1400-1700 hours outside St Helier train station.
14th March 1300-1700 hours Farm road junction with Combermere road.
15th April 1500-1800 hours Morden park.

We are organizing a public meeting for
27th May 1930-2100 hours the venue still is to be arranged.

We will be having a residents meeting for the Haig home estate on
5th March 1400-1600 hours Lawrence Weaver hall Green lane.

It would be good to see as many people as possible.

Thank you for reading from

Richard ANDERSON PS36VW and the St Helier team

Hello All
And welcome to St Helier Community safe.
It has been a very busy period since our last message sent out to you

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce Kate EGAN PC975VW as a new member of our team, she replaces Gibson KILLIAN PC875VW who has returned to a response team and we wish him well and thank him for all his hard work.

PCSO' s from our team attended an address where they saw what they believed to be a handgun on the floor. As a result of this information an urgent search warrant was obtained at magistrates court and officers attended to search the premises for firearms. On this occasion it transpired to be a pellet gun but also found was a highpowered air rifle with telescopic sight.
A disclaimer was obtained and the items were seized and await destruction.

On Sunday 25th January as a result of complaints from members of the public a proactive operation was conducted in Morden recreation ground targetting moped users illegally riding in the park. We used two specially trained officers on police scrambler bikes as well as a further 8 officers securing the entrance and exits to the area and a marked police vehicle in case any mopeds made off into the surrounding streets. On this occasion no mopeds were seen but we took the opportunity to also patrol morden park another StHelier open space.

In a seperate incident two mopeds were seized by police in Canterbury Road for having no insurance. This involves a £200 fixed penalty notice and 3 endorsable penalty points as well as £125 recovery fees and daily storage fees for each rider.

On friday, 30 police officers led by officers from St Helier safer neighbourhood team conducted a pro active operation on a premises within the St Helier ward area. A warrant had been obtained to search the premises and 15 people were within the premises as well as 3 very angry dogs. The occupants were secured and a search uncovered a small amount of crack cocaine. An occupant was arrested for possession of another controlled substance, they admitted the offence and received a police caution. Also a curved sword and another weapon was seized.
The dogs denied all involvement and no further action is being taken against them.

The above operations have taken weapons, firearms, drugs and uninsured vehicles off of the St Helier Ward area. We have the resources and the experience to deal with pro active operations of this type so if you have any information on criminal activity in our area then contact us, we can do the research and take appropriate action. Anti social behaviour? let us know.

We will be holding a Ward panel meeting on 29th November 2009 at Lawrence Weaver Hall, Green Lane at 1930hrs. It is an opportunity for our residents to say what they would like us to be focussing on as well as discussing ward issues with us. Contact us if you would like to attend, or leave a message.

St Helier Safer Neighbourhood team
0208 649 3125 (office)
0208 649 3575 (mobile)
email:- MertonStHelier.snt@met.police.uk

Until the next update
Thank you for your continued support from myself and the team Tim, Barry, Sharon, Nick, Kate.

Richard ANDERSON PS36VW

Hello all,

Welcome to our christmas Community Safe Message
The last two weeks have been very busy for the St Helier Safer Neighbourhoods team with several proactive operations conducted as a result of Action In Merton week.
We conducted an Automatic Number Plate Reading operation in conjunction with colleagues from traffic in London Road Morden. This resulted in several cars being seized for no insurance and taken to a secure pound for collection by the owners when details of insurance are provided. This also means a £200 fixed penalty notice and 6 penalty points on the licence.
There was an arrest for fraudulently obtaining insurance where somebody stated they had a full licence to the insurance company whereas they only ever had a provisional licence.
We stopped in region of 70 cars as a result of speed checks in Green Lane throughout Action In Merton week and this resulted in a further 4 cars being seized for having no insurance policy in force and several process offences.
We conducted an early morning drugs warrant which which was obtained by us at magistrates court. This resulted in the arrest of a male resident for possession of a controlled substance, the man was subsequently charged with possession of a controlled substance and bailed to attend wimbledon magistrates court. If you have any information of any believed criminal behaviour in our local St Helier area then contact us and we act upon it appropriately.
As part of Action In Merton week we took vintage Police cars to Morden primary school were a huge hit with most of the school at some point or another out to look at them.
Please be aware over the christmas period that there will be a christmas drink/drive campaign. You can still be over the limit after consuming alcohol the night before, everybody's tolerance to alcohol is different and there is no set safe amount you can drink before being over.
Our move to our new offices in Green Lane (next to St Helier station) is till on schedule for the end of February

May I this opportunity to wish you a happy christmas and holiday period from all on the St Helier Safer Neighbourhoods team.

Richard ANDERSON PS36VW

0208 649 3125 (office)
0208 649 3575 (mobile)
MertonStHelier.snt@met.police.uk

Hello All

Welcome to the 2nd message on Community safe from your local St Helier policing team
Action In Merton week is almost upon us. It will be running from the 2nd-5th December 2008. Merton's reassurance bus will be by the shop parade, Green Lane on St Helier's estate each day between 10am-4pm. Come and talk to your AIM team for health awareness, fire safety and crime prevention advice. Representatives from the Prince's Trust scheme at Merton College and the Police's partnership with sporting organisation, Met Track will also be on hand to speak to residents.
The AIM team will be carrying out the following enforcement activities:
Graffiti removal
Litter patrols
Monitoring illegal motoring activities
Painting and area tidy up

Year on year to Nov 28 St Helier ward has seen a 12% DECREASE in burglaries this year, however this can always be improved upon. We conduct high visibility patrols in areas we identify being at risk and also conduct plain clothes and pro-active operations. In the run up to christmas ensure that presents are out of sight and that any packaging is properly disposed of, dont let people see what packaging you have thrown out giving them an insight into what new goods you have at home. Ensure all windows and dorrs are locked when you leave and that shed's are secure with bikes of valuable items within out of sight or secured within.

Our move to our new police offices in Green Lane has been given a provisional date of late february 2009 this will put us at the heart of the ward and make it easier when responding to incidents on the ward.

Ward Panel
Our next ward panel meeting is on 8th January it is an opportunity for ward residents to get together and discuss which priorities you would like to see your police team focussing on, what concerns you most within your community if you would like to attend then please contact us.

Your St Helier Safer Neighbourhoods Team will act upon information we receive from members of the public concerning criminal or anti social behaviour. We have very close links and work in partnership with our Safer Merton colleagues. If you have information or if you would just like to have a chat about something that is affecting you in the area then you can contact us in complete confidence or call crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Our membership of the St Helier community safe is growing if you can think of anyone who would benefit form being a member they can register at www.communitysafe.gov.uk and once registered can join the St Helier community safe group then send them the link or get them to contact us.
0208 649 3575 (mobile)
0208 649 3125 (office)
mertonsthelier.snt@met.police.uk

On behalf of your police team thank you for taking the time to read our message

Richard ANDERSON PS36VW