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Taking action now to make our parks safer
We may be in the middle of winter, but we are already busy preparing for the warmer days and lighter evenings when residents spend more time outside their homes.
We have wonderful parks here in Southwark and we’re working hard on making them safer and more accessible to everyone. In October, new lighting was put in place in Burgess Park in response to community concerns for students walking there after school. We’ve worked with local groups to clear routes and add signs throughout wooded areas, improving access.
And it’s not just in our parks. We’ve already invested £2million in a new antisocial behaviour (ASB) taskforce, and whether we’re working with police to deter phone snatchers on our high streets or giving community wardens new powers to tackle ASB, we’ll keep making improvements.
I’m talking to as many of you as I can to hear your ideas and experiences to help inform our plans to tackle crime and ASB. This week I met members of the Goschen Estate tenants and residents association, and spoke to a local Latin American group at Amigo Hall about our work to combat violence against women and girls, and to protect private tenants. I was also privileged to join a room full of inspiring young people at Elevated Minds in Elephant & Castle. The amazing group is a supportive space for young people to enjoy themselves while they learn useful life skills, including how to make their voices heard.
This is all part of our new approach to community safety, where we put your concerns at the heart of creating a safer Southwark. An important part of this is knowledge. Which is why I am asking you to report any instances of crime and ASB you come across. This helps us and the police know where instances are happening so we can work together to respond. See our reporting box at the end of this newsletter for how to do this – and thank you!
Natasha
Cllr Natasha Ennin
Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Neighbourhoods
 Cllr Ennin joins youth group Elevated Minds and guests
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The Met moves out of special measures
The Metropolitan Police Service has announced it has moved out of special measures.
In June 2022, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire & Rescue Services had placed the Met under its enhanced monitoring process, after it highlighted concerns in a number of areas. This followed findings in the Baroness Casey Review, which exposed significant failings within the Metropolitan Police, which had affected public trust in the force in London.
We recently launched the independent Southwark Policing Oversight Board to work with local police to ensure that Central South Borough Command’s Police Trust and Confidence Improvement Plan is implemented effectively, and to help create a better understanding between officers and the people they serve. Watch our video to hear from some of the board members about why they got involved.
 Make things difficult for phone snatchers
Sadly, phone snatching happens across London and we’re working with the police to try to stamp it out.
Here in Southwark, many robbers are using electronic bikes and scooters to snatch phones. You can make things difficult for any potential phone snatcher by staying aware of your surroundings and using your phone’s security features. This includes turning on the keypad lock so they can’t immediately access all your personal and private stuff. And make a note of your phone's IMEI number by dialling *#06#*, which you can then pass on to police.
If your phone is taken, note the time, location, and what the person who took it looks like. Report the crime to the police as soon as you have access to another phone by calling 101 or 999 in emergencies. You can also report it on the Crimestoppers website.
Even if you can’t get help immediately, it allows local police and our community safety teams to build up a picture of where phone snatching is happening so we can respond, like sending community wardens to the area and putting up warning signs, which we've found act as a deterrent.
And...
Join our conference to fight FGM
The Mayor of Southwark, Councillor Naima Ali, is hosting a conference this Thursday, 6 February to learn, discuss and take action against female genital mutilation.
Championing Change to End Female Genital Mutilation will take place between 10.30am and 6pm at Southwark Council’s office at 160 Tooley Street, SE1 2QH.
If you would like to attend, you can apply for free tickets to join in person or online. Tickets and more information are available here.
The Mayor is currently taking part in a sponsored virtual walk from Southwark to Nairobi to raise money for Action Aid and its work tackling female genital mutilation in Kenya. Find out more and sponsor the Mayor here.
Learn about restorative justice
A powerful film made by our Southwark Restorative Justice and Victim Team has been nominated for an award.
Facing the Impact explores how a young man grapples with the consequences of his violent encounter with a police officer, where both the young man and officer confront the ripple effects that follow.
The team from Southwark worked with two charities – local Roadworks Media and national Restorative Justice Council. Watch the video here.
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 Final call for our Women and Girls Safety Survey
We want to understand how safe women and girls feel living, working, going to school and travelling in Southwark.
Share your views before Thursday 20 February 2025 via the button below to help us create a safer Southwark.
Out and about in the borough
As part of our new approach to community safety, we're travelling around Southwark, talking to as many of you as we can to listen and respond to your concerns.
Look out for information about events that you can attend in our newsletters, on social media, in community settings and libraries. You can follow our social channels via the links at the end of this email.
 Saying hello to students at the recent freshers event
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Southwark Community Wardens joined members of our Violence Against Women and Girls team and Better Bankside staff (above) at a freshers event at Kaplan International College near London Bridge on Thursday 9 January. They spoke to staff and students, gave out information leaflets and advice on issues including phone and bike theft, fraud scams, personal safety and women’s safety.
- Meanwhile, some of our Young Advisors were in Canada Water with local police community support officers, marking phones as a deterrent against phone snatching.
- Councillors joined residents at the recent North West Multi Ward Forum Project Pitch Meeting for the applicants of the Neighbourhoods Fund, Cleaner Greener Safer (CGS) and Devolved Highways to present their projects to their local ward councillors across the North West area. Cllr Ennin, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, spoke about the work the council is doing to help residents feel safer.
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Food safety and trading standards |
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Southwark café fined after death of 12-year-old girl
A Southwark café operator was fined £18,000 and handed a 100 hours community order at Croydon Magistrates Court on Friday 24 January following the death of 12-year-old Mia-Shay St Hilaire.
Mia-Shay, from Sydenham, had a tree nut allergy and suffered a severe allergic reaction after drinking a milkshake at Pop-Inn Café, Southwark Park Road, while visiting with her aunt and sister in August 2023.
Following Mia-Shay’s death, Southwark’s food safety officers visited the Pop-Inn Café and found breaches in food safety law, with the decision taken to prosecute the business operator, Baris Yucel. He pleaded guilty to all offences.
The team made sure measures were put in place to stop this happening again and has made several follow up visits to check these are being maintained.
Our thoughts are with Mia-Shay’s family and friends.
And...
Walworth butchers given hefty fine for illegal meat
Our food safety team has successfully prosecuted three people linked to AK Butchers of East Street, Walworth, for providing smokies for collection and sale on the premises. Smokies are produced by burning the fleece of an older sheep or goat carcass. They are illegal in this country because they are prepared in a manner that could cause distress to the animal and harm to humans who eat them. Neither the animals nor the meat from them have had the required health checks necessary for meat that we eat. Three defendants received fines totalling more than £28,000 at Croydon Magistrates Court.
Keeping you safe when you shop
During 2024, our trading standards team made 481 visits to local businesses, removing 57,750 unsafe, illicit or counterfeit products from being sold in the borough.
If you're worried about a local business, you can report your concerns to our team.
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Police action in your area |
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Did you know that you can find local information about crime and action being taken against it where you live? Enter your postcode on the Met's website and find details of your local Safer Neighbourhoods team, crime prevention meetings, recent action taken by officers and more.
Here are a few examples of recent police actions:
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a joint operation in Burgess Park and surrounding roads to tackle violence against women and girls, violent robberies, sexual assaults and drug taking within the park. This included high visibility mobile patrols throughout the afternoon and evening, resulting in three arrests and one electric bike being seized that had been adapted to reach speeds of up to 50mph. The limit is 15 mph. As this is illegal, the owner will not get the bike back
- a male was arrested for harassment, indecent exposure and assault on an emergency worker in Dulwich Village
- officers carried out a drugs search warrant in SE5, with one person arrested and drugs seized. This person was charged with multiple drugs offences and remanded in court
- St Giles Ward Safer Neighbourhoods team worked with the council on a successful application for a three-month Closure Order extension on a property in SE5 where the occupant was causing antisocial behaviour and nuisance to other residents
- an individual was arrested for harassment towards a female in Camberwell Green. They were later charged with stalking and remanded to court
Shoplifter lifted at the Co-op
A shoplifter responsible for 38 shoplifting offences across Co-op stores in Southwark Bridge Road and Walworth Road between 8 November and 28 December 2024 has been successfully prosecuted following a targeted operation by local police officers.
They were apprehended on 2 January at Southwark Bridge Road Co-op following swift action by local Southwark Neighbourhood Officers, in collaboration with the store.
Appearing before the Old Bailey, the offender pleaded guilty to the offences and was sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment.
A Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) has also been applied for, which, if granted, will further restrict the offender’s activities upon release.
 How to report antisocial behaviour and noise nuisance
If you think a crime has been committed, contact the police
If it’s happening now, call 101.
If it happened in the past, report online.
If someone is in immediate danger call 999.
Don't want to give your name? Report anonymously at Crimestoppers or call
0800 555 111.
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