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Community safety news: July 2025 |
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Southwark in the summer is a wonderful place to live. We are lucky to have lots of amazing places to visit here, but with more of us out and about, data shows that levels of antisocial behaviour and crime rise along with the temperatures. Which is why I’m asking you to stay aware when you’re enjoying yourself this summer and to keep an eye on your phones and personal belongings.
With schools and colleges breaking up, our brilliant children and young people will be enjoying a well-earned break. Sadly, data also shows us that summer is a time when young people are more likely to experience stop and search.
I know stop and search is controversial, but done properly, with respect and patience by all, it’s a vital tool to help the police keep our streets safe. Done badly, it increases community tension and can leave the young people it happens to, most of whom have done nothing wrong, with negative feelings against the police. Which helps nobody. Stop and search is an issue raised with us by residents as something that impacts their trust and confidence in the police, as part of our Southwark Stands Together work.
That’s why our Southwark Young Advisors are trained to support both young people and the police in making stop and search work FOR the community, rather than against it.
Facing the Impact is a powerful film from local filmmakers Roadworks Media, which examines a stop and search operation that goes wrong from both a young person and police officer’s point of view. The government website has information on your rights if you experience stop and search and what to do if you want to complain about your treatment. I urge you to read it, and pass on the information to young people.
And you can find activities for children and young people on our new One Hub platform.
Natasha
Cllr Natasha Ennin
Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Neighbourhoods
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 Rubbish dumped on Rye Lane
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Fighting back against the fly-tippers
Our Environmental Enforcement team has been busy in Bournemouth Close and Rye Lane this month, issuing fines to people found to have dumped rubbish in the street.
A regular fly-tipping hotspot was identified in Bournemouth Close, with uniformed patrols conducted three times a week, and notices issued where evidence is traceable, including the use of CCTV.
Meanwhile in Rye Lane, pallets of meat were found to be obstructing the footpath outside a butcher's.
You can report fly-tipping, graffiti and other issues via the button below.
And...
 Cllr Ennin with business owners, council officers, wardens and the police
You said...we did
To celebrate ASB Awareness Week earlier this month, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Neighbourhoods, Cllr Natasha Ennin, spent time with our Noise and Environmental Enforcement teams, travelling around the borough seeing first hand how they respond to residents’ concerns about antisocial behaviour (ASB), including fly-tipping and noise problems. She also followed our Trading Standards and Licensing teams as they visited businesses to check they are complying with legislation to keep us safe when we use them.
Watch our video showing some of the work we've been doing around the borough this month.
Have your say on our response to antisocial behaviour
We’re considering introducing a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) to help tackle behaviour that negatively affects people living in, working in, studying in, or visiting Southwark.
Please fill in our survey to tell us what you think, and help us tackle crime and ASB to create a Safer Southwark for all.
Watch your phone!
Sadly, phone snatching is a nationwide problem and we're not immune here in Southwark. If your phone IS snatched, report the crime to the police by calling 101 as soon as you can get to a phone - and always call 999 in an emergency.
You can also report it on the Crimestoppers website or by calling 0800 555111.
Our Community Safety Wardens, Liam and Miguel, recently demonstrated how easy it is to be surprised by a thief when you're out and about around the borough. Watch the video on TikTok.
Tackling knife crime: blade surrender scheme
From Friday 1 August 2025, possession of a ninja sword becomes an offence that's punishable by up to six months imprisonment, potentially rising to two years under the upcoming Crime and Policing Bill.
Throughout July, a nationwide ninja sword surrender scheme is running, where people can anonymously drop off a sword, or other knife or blade, at designated points. Surrender is anonymous and no personal details will be taken, no records kept and no questions asked.
Swords and knives can be dropped off at:
- Walworth Police Station, 12-28 Manor Place, SE17
- specially designed and secure bins at Flamborough House, Clayton Road, SE15, or at Burgess Park, by the entrance in Albany Road, SE5
FREE women's self-defence classes
Join Women’s Self-Defense UK for free practical, supportive and empowering self-defence training for women here in Southwark. Open to all women aged 18-plus and living in the borough.
Sessions are led by a female professional martial artist and security expert, teaching practical techniques that anyone can use, regardless of experience or physical strength.
 Two of our environmental enforcement officers
We’re taking action against people who drop litter on our streets
Our team of environmental enforcement officers is expanding. They’ll be patrolling the borough and issuing on-the-spot fines of up to £500 to people they see littering in public places.
Litter makes our neighbourhoods look unsightly, can be harmful to wildlife, and is expensive to clean up – which is why we’re taking a zero-tolerance approach to the small number of people who drop litter in Southwark. Find out more about our plans.
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 A police and council officer patrol
North Walworth joint operation
Earlier this month, our wardens teamed up with local police to conduct joint enforcement patrols to reduce antisocial behaviour (ASB.)
Officers handed out leaflets and spoke to residents about how to report incidents.
Patrols focused on North Walworth and Faraday, including Aylesbury and Burgess Park, and targeted a number of areas identified as ASB hotspots.
The operation resulted in three arrests, two ASB warnings, one criminal behaviour order and the seizure of a knife during the search of a suspect.
And...
Jerk pan seizure
Food safety was on the menu when our wardens, CCTV, Noise and Night Time Economy teams worked with the Met in a joint operation that saw the seizure of a jerk pan for illegal food trading on Peckham High Street.
Raising awareness of drink spiking
The Metropolitan Police's digital van came to Elephant & Castle for a recent collaboration between our Drug and Alcohol Team (DAAT), drink and alcohol support organisation Change Grow Live, the Metropolitan Police's Project ADDER and the Ministry of Sound club.
The teams spoke to people attending a student night about a range of subjects, including:
- recommended daily alcohol limits
- the risks of drink spiking
- harms associated with cocaine and alcohol use
- dangers of mixing substances
If you're looking to change your relationship with drugs or alcohol, contact Change Grow Live.
Working with the police to rebuild trust and confidence
The Southwark Policing Oversight Board met earlier this month at Albrighton Community Centre, East Dulwich.
The evening included a presentation by local officers on visibility in policing in response to a request from the board, as well as a review of Southwark police's updated Trust and Confidence plan, following suggested amendments.
Read more about the Policing Oversight Board.
 Members of the board and guests at the recent meeting
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News from the Trading Standards team |
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 Fake Labubus in a box with the official sticker you should look out for on genuine ones
Parents – beware of fake Labubus…
We’ve recently seen a rise in fake Labubu dolls for sale at convenience shops in the borough. These fake versions of the collectable dolls quickly fall apart and have parts that come off easily, and so may present a choking hazard if given to a child.
Real Labubus are only available from PopMart stores and authorised resellers, and will have a sticker on the box with UK distributor details on, as shown in our picture, above. If you see these on sale, please contact our trading standards team immediately.
…and nicotine pouches that your children could buy
Nicotine pouches are small teabag-like pouches of powder which contains nicotine and other ingredients, such as sweeteners and flavourings. They come in flat containers about the size of a make-up powder compact and aren’t currently regulated like vapes or tobacco products. This means it’s not illegal to sell them to children.
We expect the law will be changed to close this dangerous gap, but in the meantime the products must be labelled with safety warnings and supplier traceability information in English.
Please talk to your children about the dangers of nicotine addiction and let us know if anyone is selling them without warnings on the labels in English.
For more information see information on nicotine pouches from ASH.
 Nicotine pouches
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Police action in your area |
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Caught and convicted
Recent operations have focused on tackling robbery, violence, and antisocial behaviour here in Southwark.
- Southwark Night Time Economy Team’s Operation Pellaea saw a mix of covert and high visibility patrols around SE1, resulting in 10 arrests over two nights, including two for offensive weapons, two for phone snatching and the arrest of two bag thieves who had been operating in the area.
- One of the most prolific shoplifters in Southwark was arrested in Sainsbury’s near Tower Bridge for theft, failing to attend a drugs appointment and breach of a Community Protection Notice. He was found guilty in Croydon Magistrates Court for three offences and will be sentenced on 2 September.
- A man who stole a bag from a customer in the Horseshoe Inn Pub, SE1 in January was identified following an investigation, He received a 36-week sentence at Bromley Magistrates Court and was also ordered to repay £187 to the victim.
New police team for Peckham
The Peckham Town Centre Team is a new policing unit focusing on tackling crime and antisocial behaviour in one of Southwark’s busiest areas.
This includes robbery, drug-related crime, youth disorder and retail crime, with officers visible and active in and around the town centre every day.
Police will work closely with the council, local businesses, community leaders, and outreach services, aiming to build long-term trust and confidence within the community.
Facial recognition
Local police are using Live Facial Recognition (LFR) across Southwark to help identify wanted people and those posing the greatest harm to our communities.
LFR scans faces in real time against a pre-approved police watchlist – if there’s no match, the data is instantly deleted. This technology is used lawfully and with clear oversight. Recent deployments, including in London Bridge and Walworth, have successfully led to nine arrests of people wanted for serious offences.
If you’d like to learn more, get in touch with your local policing team. You can find details at the police’s new community policing platform, Met Engage.
 How to report crime
Crime includes criminal behaviour against people, property or animals, such as theft (including phone snatching), physical assaults, domestic abuse and hate crime.
Report crime to the police
- Call 999 if it's an emergency, such as if someone is being physically assaulted, or threatened with assault
- Call 101
- You can also report crime anonymously via the Crimestoppers website or by calling 0800 555 111
How to report antisocial behaviour and noise nuisance
Antisocial behaviour (ASB) is an act or acts that negatively affect your quality of life and the peaceful enjoyment of your home or neighbourhood.
It includes, verbal abuse and harassment, drugs and alcohol misuse and noise that becomes a nuisance and affects your ability to enjoy your home or sleep
Report ASB to us
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