WANDSWORTH POLICE BULLETIN

MAY 2021 WANDSWORTH POLICE Tackling violence and increasing the levels of trust and community confidence are the Met’s most important priorities. We have therefore been working with the community of Wandsworth in the last month to help improve community confidence. Welcome to the May edition of the Wandsworth Police Bulletin. Community based volunteers have been supporting Ward officers in distributing crime prevention advice, making introductions between residents and local policing teams and sharing localised You will find that this bulletin contains policing activity information. These volunteers have supported your local police with dedication and a more links to online content that I level of enthusiasm that I have found refreshing. If you would like to know more about becoming a encourage you to view. These links include local volunteer and making a difference in your community then please contact your local Ward officer videos of our officers from the South West with the details provided at the end of this bulletin. BCU and our new police podcast called ‘Plodcast’. These will give you further Whilst the Met does have high levels of community confidence, not all communities have the same insight into policing and what is being done levels of trust in us and trust is lowest from Black Londoners – particularly young Black men. on the borough to tackle crime. Therefore, as part of our ongoing drive to improve the trust and confidence of Wandsworth As always, if you have any feedback, please communities, we are increasing engagement with young people and asking them to take part in a contact your local policing team. new, anonymous survey so we can listen and respond to their feedback. The survey takes around three minutes to complete and can be done online here.

Regards Those completing the survey will be offered the opportunity to go on a ‘ride-along’ with an emergency response team, the Territorial Support Group or the Violent Crime Task Force, to see for themselves the Supt Roger Arditti MPhil Phd work offices do during a shift to keep people safe. To find out more about the ride-along, click here. Neighbourhoods South West BCU Barrie Capper Neighbourhoods Inspector, Wandsworth. IN MAY 2021, WANDSWORTH POLICE… … Marked the first anniversary of the …Published the second episode of ‘Plodcast’ …Intensified efforts to tackle County Violence Suppression Unit. Click play Listen on Youtube HERE. Lines below or watch on Youtube HERE.

…Celebrated IDAHOBIT Day. …Launched the campaign ‘Hard Calls Save …Conducted a speed Watch on Youtube HERE. Lives’ in partnership with the independent awareness operation. charity, Crimestoppers. Read about it HERE. ACTIVITY TACKLING VIOLENT AND HIGH HARM CRIME

Violence reduction on our streets continues to be our highest priority. All teams across the borough work to prevent and detect violent crime, including our reactive and proactive investigation teams who, this month, have been working incredibly hard to target high harm offenders including those that engage in criminal drug supply, robbery and Violence. Below are just some of the highlights from May.

• Our Burglary and Robbery Investigation Team (BRIT) worked with British Transport Police (BTP) and officers in the South of London on a joint operation to solve a series of robberies, some of which occurred in in the areas of Tooting and Balham. We are pleased to report that this operation resulted in a male being arrested, charged and remanded for a total of 17 robberies. This included knife-point robberies and robberies with threats of violence.

• Operation Valhalla was launched in response to an incident of serious violence in South West London. As a result of this operation, two men have been charged with drugs offences after officers from our Violence Suppression Unit conducted warrants at addresses in Mitcham and Tooting. At the beginning of May, both the men were charged with possession with intent to supply class A and B drugs and being concerned in the supply of class B drugs. They were remanded in custody until their first court appearance at the end of May.

• Our Safer Neighbourhood Officers have been proactively patrolling to prevent and detect drug related crime in hot spot areas such as Wandsworth Common and Tooting Common. They have been patrolling both in plain clothes and in uniform and stopped and searched people and vehicles where grounds exist. In fact, a male abandoned his car and ran from Tooting Neighbourhood officers on patrol when he saw them. Whilst they didn’t catch the offender, the officers did find drugs for supply, stashed away in the car.

• Whilst we can’t always prevent violent crime from occurring, we are committed and determined to bring offenders to justice and to support victims through the investigation. For example, in reference to a 25 year old male who was stabbed in Upper Tooting Road on the 14th May, the suspect was not outstanding for long. We very quickly identified, arrested and charged a male with S.18 Grevious Bodily Harm (GBH). ACTIVITY TACKLING VIOLENT AND HIGH HARM CRIME

COUNTY LINES VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS The Met is doing more than ever before to safeguard those On Thursday, 13 May, officers across every London borough, carried out a exploited by county lines. This includes increasing the use of range of activity to highlight what we are doing to prevent violence against modern slavery legislation to charge those at the top of the women and girls. In Wandsworth, this included: county lines chain.  Visits to local schools to give presentations on staying safe, consent and discouraging sexually harmful behaviour. Wandsworth police, along with the rest of the South West  Increasing patrols by officers, council wardens and special constables in BCU, took part in the latest national county lines public spaces intensification week, which ran from Monday 17 to Sunday 23  Visiting pubs and other venues to talk to staff about how they can help May. Through this operation, we: keep their customers safe as the lockdown further eases.  Safeguarded vulnerable adults and children and those at  Executing arrest warrants and tracking down wanted offenders. risk of being exploited for County Lines.  Visited victims of cuckooing to provide support and Watch our local Violence Suppression Unit discuss their work and arrest a assistance. registered sex offender as part of this day of action. You can watch the video  Conducted foot patrols, proactive stops and warrants. on Twitter HERE.  Made numerous arrests for possession with intent to supply class A and B drugs and, as a result of one investigation linked to county lines, an adult female was arrested for human trafficking and child abduction of a 17 year old. In total, 8 Charges were brought to individuals who were involved in PWITS and concerned in supplying drugs linked to county lines.

Read more about the National operation here. Volume Crime Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Neighbourhoods officers have spent the month of ASB continues to be a focus area for our Safer Neighbourhood Teams May focused on doing what they can to prevent as they know the negative impact it can have on communities. A lot volume crime such as burglaries, theft of bicycles, of ASB that is reported to our officers is linked to drug use and and theft from motor vehicles. Action taken to supply. For example, this month, Graveney officers secured two prevent such crime included: Closure Order extensions for two addresses where drug related activities were causing ASB for the local community. These • Leafleting approximately 3000 households in extensions are valid for three months, and the officers are regularly burglary hot spot areas across Wandsworth patrolling the locality of these addresses. In fact, three males have with crime prevention material and contact been arrested during these patrols for breach of Closure Order. details for the local policing team. On another part of the borough in Furzedown Ward, officers • Security marking bicycles for free over the executed a warrant at an address that was causing frequent ASB that course of three days at two hospitals on the was suspected to be as a result of drug use. On this occasion, no borough. Security marking helps to deter bike evidence of drug use or supply was found at the address, but since thieves and increases the likelihood of police the warrant, reports of ASB at the location have significantly identifying a stolen bike and returning it to decreased. the owner. Officers were also joined by the Wandsworth council bike servicing team who Whilst the above two examples of ASB are drug related, ASB can be serviced the bicycles free of charge. caused by other means, such as street drinking. For example, Northcote and Shaftesbury Neighbourhood Teams have focused • Working with Parks Police to leaflet vehicles their ASB patrols on busy main high streets such as Lavender Hill, St. in Battersea park to provide crime prevention John's Road, St. John's Hill & Northcote Road where they have advice following an increase of theft from enforced Public Space Protection rules by issuing a number of PSPO motor vehicles in the car park. warnings for street drinking. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Engaging with Young People Recruitment Wandsworth Volunteer Police Cadets have won Wandsworth Councils Young Person of We understand the importance of having a diverse the Year Award, Community Safety Award for 2020. This is due to all their hard work workforce that reflects the communities we serve. and commitment to reducing crime and preventing crime on the borough. That is why the Met aims, by 2022, for 40% of new recruits to come from Black and other ethnic minority The award was presented over Microsoft Teams. The cadets were commended for their backgrounds. Locally, we have created a new outreach hard work as the award was presented: team, which is engaging with communities on the South West to discuss policing careers. "Wandsworth Police Cadets volunteer all year round, come rain or shine. They take part in test purchasing operations to combat knife crime amongst young people. The cadets This month the team held a couple of virtual undertake weapon sweeps near schools and parks to prevent discarded knives and recruitment sessions. For example, as part of Black needles from harming the public. Inclusion Week, we hosted an online Question and Answer session on our Twitter page to answer the They identify vulnerable people and find stolen goods. They also assist Safer public’s questions about joining the job. Furthermore, Neighbourhood Teams in distributing crime prevention advice to local residents. The in celebration of the International Day Against cadets are voluntarily helping our local police and they are making a real difference in Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), their community. the a virtual recruitment event with the LGBTQ+ community was hosted on the 17th May. During this They are to be commended for their voluntary service and are well deserved winners of event, officers from different ranks and backgrounds this year’s Award for Contribution to Community Safety." discussed and shared their journey with the public, then answered their questions. The Young Person of the Year Award honours young people in Wandsworth who deserve recognition for their achievement, courage, generous attitude or ability to overcome difficult personal circumstances. For more information on the police cadets, and to find out how to join them visit: https://vpc.police.uk/ HOW TO CONTACT THE MET Reporting Crime In an Emergency Partner Agencies Call 999 if: Crimestoppers  A serious offence is in progress or has just been committed. Stay 100% anonymous by reporting information to the independent charity  Someone is in immediate danger or harm. Crimestoppers.  Property is in danger of being damaged. Report online at crimestoppers-uk.org or call 0800 555 111  A serious disruption to the public is likely. Anti-terrorist hotline If you're deaf or hard of hearing, use our textphone service 18000. Call the UK Anti-Terrorism Hotline on 0800 789 321 if you've seen or heard Or text us on 999 if you’ve pre-registered with the emergencySMS service. something that you think could suggest terrorist activity.

Non-emergency British Transport Police Phone Text on 61016 to report incidents on the train and tube discreetly. Call 101 for non-emergency enquiries. Report Hate Crime If you're deaf or hard of hearing, use our textphone service on 18001 101. To report hate crime indirectly to police visit True Vision at, or to TellMAMA. Calling from abroad: +44 20 7230 1212. (Please use this number if you're contacting us from outside of the UK). Contacting your local Neighbourhoods Policing Team Online Find out who your local Neighbourhood policing team is, Contact a PC or PCSO, https://www.met.police.uk/ro/report/ find out when their next meeting is and see local crime information by typing in Social Media your postcode here: https://www.met.police.uk/a/your-area/ Message @MetCC on Twitter.

In Person Visit us at your local police station. If you need to speak in person in a safe place you can visit a local police station 24/7. Find out where your nearest police front desk is here.