Fewer than half of Wandsworth residents think the police do a good job, and confidence is still falling.
The borough’s quarterly trust survey, presented to tonight’s Safer Neighbourhood Board, shows the “good job” measure at 47%, down three points on a year ago. The sharpest fall is in whether residents feel police listen to their concerns: down six points to 50%, the largest drop of any measure in the data.
That number has been sliding for two consecutive quarters. In March, we reported that every confidence measure had fallen. It has continued to fall since.
What the SNB papers for tonight’s meeting say about policing in Putney and Roehampton:
Thamesfield: near full strength
After more than a year of short-staffing, the Thamesfield policing team is nearly back to its full complement of officers. The ward panel chair, Sylvie Chrzanowska, reports a new sergeant in post, shared with East Putney, who is targeting resources on the highest-priority problems.
Two recent results: a burglar wanted for a crime spree was caught in the park in possession of a crowbar, a knife, and suspected stolen goods; and an ASB repeat offender was arrested four times in three days before being recalled to prison. We covered the burglar arrest last month.
Agreed ward priorities are theft (personal and commercial), high-value cycle theft, and violent crime.
West Putney: officers still can’t explain the violence spike
Three months after we reported a 63% year-on-year rise in violence in West Putney, neighbourhood officers still have no explanation for it. Ward panel chair Lee Roberts writes: “When we confronted officers with these figures, no officer was able to explain the background, which contributed to further concerns about how well briefed are our neighbourhood officers.”
The May crime data adds to the picture. West Putney recorded 27 sexual offences in the period, the second highest of any ward in the borough behind only Tooting Broadway. That figure has risen from 20 in the Q3 data reported in March.
Meanwhile Thamesfield recorded 54 thefts from motor vehicles in May, up sharply from 35 in March.
What to watch out for
Phone snatches on the High Street. A tactic confirmed at recent ward meetings: offenders approach people, usually young men late at night and often near the pie shop on Putney High Street by the bridge, and ask them to open their phone to follow an Instagram account or rate a profile. An accomplice takes the phone. Sometimes it involves violence. It has been seen across the borough in Balham and Clapham Junction and is now confirmed locally. If approached this way, don’t hand over your phone.
E-bikes. If an electric bike is not pedal-assisted, it is likely over the legal 250-watt limit and illegal on public roads. Officers have been clarifying this at local meetings. Worth knowing given the number of e-bikes now in regular use around Putney.
Some reassurance
Putney and Roehampton are receiving dedicated evening response-team coverage for sexual offences, confirmed in the March SNB minutes. This is targeted deployment in the hours when such offences are most likely to occur.
Tonight’s meeting
The Safer Neighbourhood Board meets tonight, Tuesday 9 June, at 18:30 online. The meeting is closed. Details here.
