Police officers have told East Putney residents they’re largely powerless to tackle the area’s main crime problem – admitting they can only offer prevention advice as chronic resource shortages leave them reliant on the public to solve thefts.
At a community meeting on Wednesday, the Met’s East Putney Safer Neighbourhood Team painted a stark picture of overstretched policing, with officers pulled away to protect synagogues and mosques following recent tensions, no patrols during night-time hours when most thefts occur, and jurisdictional barriers preventing action.
Vehicle crime was the third most reported crime in East Putney during August, with 14 incidents, though the ward recorded just 93 crimes overall that month – among the lowest in Wandsworth.
“We can’t do much more – we don’t have the resources,” officers told residents at Putney High School. “We can just give crime prevention advice.”
The admission came as officers confirmed East Putney remains one of Wandsworth’s safest areas – recording around 100 crimes per month compared to 130 in West Putney, 176 in Roehampton and 132 in Thamesfield – but faces persistent problems with opportunistic theft from vehicles and parcel deliveries that happen almost entirely when neighbourhood teams aren’t working.
Abstraction rates “high” after Manchester attack
Officers revealed that resource pressures have intensified following the Manchester synagogue attack, which killed two people and left three seriously injured. Police are now diverted to protect synagogues – with the nearest to Wandsworth in Wimbledon – and neighbourhood officers are used to backfill their positions.
“Abstraction rates are high because of what happened in Manchester,” officers said, adding that the same pressures apply when officers are pulled away for protests and other duties.
The safe neighbourhood team doesn’t work at night, leaving police reliant on public reporting for the vast majority of thefts, which happen after dark.
Seven unlocked cars found in single street
Theft from motor vehicles has become such a problem that police now conduct “days of doors” – walking down streets trying car doors to check if they’re locked. In one road alone, seven cars were found unlocked.
Officers said thieves target everything “from cigarettes from a Jaguar to sunglasses to golf clubs” in purely opportunistic crimes. The ward’s current priorities, updated on 6 October, identify high-end performance vehicles in the south of the ward as particularly vulnerable.
Police told residents to call 999 if they witness suspicious activity, alert neighbours through local WhatsApp groups, and invest in full steering wheel locks rather than simple bars. Officers urged residents to provide doorbell camera footage, which they described as “powerful” evidence.
When theft is reported, police send a link for uploading video directly to their systems. Facial recognition technology is now “quite effective” and “really good” at identifying known offenders, officers said, pointing to 100 arrests at Notting Hill Carnival using the technology.
Crime map for August 2025 (closest data available)
Known offenders cycle in and out of prison
Officers described how many thefts are committed by “a few well-known nominals” – repeat offenders who cycle in and out of prison. One such individual is due for release soon. The crimes are often committed by drinkers and are purely opportunistic.
Recent burglaries have included jewellery stolen with the robber walking out the front door, £1,000 of tools taken from a garage, and £4,000 in cash stashed under a mattress.
Burglary remains a long-term priority for East Putney, with officers using predictive crime mapping to identify vulnerable streets and deploying Smartwater UV marking at some homes.
“No point reporting it” – but police disagree
Parcel theft is “chronically under-reported,” residents told the meeting, with many believing packages are no longer safe in the area. Officers explained that if someone has to open a box or enter a gate to steal something it’s burglary, but if they can just grab it, it’s theft.
Police advice is to get a dropbox or arrange delivery to secure locations like Waitrose collection points.
Residents from Longstaff Estate raised concerns about broken CCTV, with several taxi drivers whose vehicles were broken into believing there’s no point reporting crimes. Officers disagreed strongly, saying they attend 100 per cent of reported crime scenes, but acknowledged CCTV maintenance is a council responsibility.
Officers said they can email the council about broken cameras but the meeting highlighted how jurisdictional boundaries create additional barriers to action.
MoD land creates policing “blind spot”
Concerns were raised about Coldstream Guards accommodation on West Hill Road, where a house was burgled. Officers said there’s little police can do as it’s Ministry of Defence land – another example of jurisdictional limits on their powers.
The meeting heard uncertainty about CCTV vans owned by the council, which are seemingly only used for traffic offences, though officers said there’s a Wandsworth CCTV centre where staff monitor all cameras across the borough.
Drugs less of an issue than neighbouring wards
Despite resource constraints, officers said East Putney faces significantly fewer problems with drugs and street robberies compared to West Putney and Roehampton – which recorded 89 per cent more crimes in August.
Violence and sexual offences were the most reported crime type in August with 28 incidents, though officers said the ward doesn’t face the same level of drug-related violence as other areas. While officers can stop people if they smell cannabis, they need evidence to conduct searches.
The ward’s priorities now include reducing violence linked to drug use on Rayners Road, Cabalt Road, Carlton Drive and Strathan Close, with officers conducting high-visibility patrols and using stop and search powers where appropriate.
With autumn arriving, residents can expect more officers on foot looking for youths setting off fireworks – a recurring problem in Wandsworth Park and King George’s Park.
The East Putney Safer Neighbourhood Team holds regular drop-in sessions and provides updates via Met Engage. For old footage that hasn’t been reported, residents should call 101 to get a crime reference number and upload link.
