Thamesfield Ward residents reset their policing priorities on 4 February in response to crime statistics showing vehicle crime jumped 72% between summer and winter last year.
The quarterly figures, covering October to December 2025, recorded 74 vehicle crime incidents compared to 43 in the previous three months. Police blame a combination of drivers leaving items visible in cars and organised thieves stealing badges from the front of BMWs, Volkswagens and Mercedes to access valuable sensors behind them.
Residents at the ward panel meeting dropped “street violence” as one of their three priorities after anti-social behaviour fell 21% year-on-year and robbery plummeted 73% quarter-on-quarter. They added “theft – personal and commercial” after shoplifting rose 68% year-on-year to 84 incidents. Vehicle crime and burglary remain priorities.
The changes show the ward priority system working as intended. Every two months, residents review crime data with local officers and choose three issues for police to focus on. The meeting heard that police posted warning signs in hotspot areas around Lacy Road, Felsham Road and Enterprise Way, the same locations where officers admitted in January they usually cannot catch car thieves because overnight break-ins leave a 12-hour window that makes checking CCTV impractical.
Badge thieves target sensor technology
Police revealed an ongoing problem with badge thefts. Thieves are removing manufacturer badges from car fronts to steal the sensors mounted behind them, particularly targeting premium German brands.
PCSO Eva Knedlova wrote to BMW, Volkswagen and Mercedes about the thefts but received no response from any manufacturer. Officers found a batch of the stolen badges dumped, suggesting thieves are interested only in the sensor technology.
The sensor thefts have been documented in London since at least 2016, with manufacturers refusing to redesign the vulnerable systems despite replacement costs of up to £1,600 per vehicle.
Sergeant Linda Worger told the meeting that most vehicle crime still involves opportunistic thieves who assume any bag left on display contains valuables. “The thieves didn’t know that a bag was empty until they broke in to find out,” she said.
Police advice remains consistent: remove all items from view, including phone chargers and sat-nav mounts that suggest valuables might be inside. Park in well-lit areas or private garages where possible. Owners of keyless entry vehicles should keep fobs away from doors and windows and consider using a signal-blocking Faraday bag.
Bikes worth £18,000 traced to Bulgaria
The meeting also heard cycle thefts continue on Putney Embankment, with thieves targeting bikes worth up to £18,000. One stolen bicycle was traced via its AirTag to Bulgaria on the same day it was taken.
PC Damian Catherall said thieves typically arrive on another stolen bicycle or a high-powered electric bike, swap or lift the stolen bike, and ride off quickly. “One brazen thief stole a bike from inside the cafe,” he told residents.
The problem is partly created by cyclists themselves. Owners of expensive carbon fibre bikes are reluctant to carry heavy locks and often leave bikes unsecured while sitting in cafes, or use cable locks that can be cut easily.
The Thamesfield team ran two bike marking sessions recently in the square next to St Mary’s Church. Police recommend using a proper D-lock or chain secured to a dedicated cycle rail, not a lamp post.
Police abstractions continue
The meeting heard that 30-40% of officers across the south-west London policing area are currently off sick or confined to desk duties through injury or disability. This adds to the staffing pressures reported last September, when Thamesfield had just one officer who spent only one or two days a week in the ward.
PC Catherall, who recently joined the team after being transferred from desk duties to active patrol, explained that able-bodied officers are being moved from administrative roles onto neighbourhood teams to help fill gaps.
Officers are still regularly abstracted to cover 999 response teams, police major events like demonstrations and Notting Hill Carnival, or respond to major incidents at short notice.
How the priority system works
Ward panels are community-led groups where residents meet with local police every two months. The meetings review crime trends and set three priorities that guide what officers focus on.
For Thamesfield, the current priorities are burglary, motor vehicle crime, and theft (personal and commercial). These replace the previous focus on street violence, which showed significant improvement in the latest data.
Shoplifting arrests continue despite the rising numbers. Officers conduct daily patrols on Putney High Street and say specific shops were “hit quite hard” in the run-up to Christmas, part of a nationwide pattern.
The team recently changed their email address. Residents should now contact them at Thamesfield@met.police.uk rather than contacting individual officers, who may be on rest days, annual leave or abstracted elsewhere. Every team member can access the mailbox and checks it when coming on duty.
The next Thamesfield Ward Panel meeting is on 20 May at St Mary’s Church, Putney High Street, starting at 6.30pm. Residents can also sign up for Met Engage, a messaging system that sends alerts about local crime patterns and upcoming events.
Crime can be reported online at met.police.uk, by calling 101 for non-emergencies or 999 for emergencies. Anonymous reports can be made to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org.
