Labour have secured two brand new police teams to target key crime hotspots in Peckham and Walworth town centres.
Local councillors have listened to the concerns of residents about rising crime in their local areas and worked with the Mayor of London and Met Police to assign new local police officers, meaning overall there will be 4 Sergeants and 24 Constables across Peckham and Walworth.
The move marks a significant ramping up of policing in two areas with high crime rates and safety concerns being raised by local people. This is in addition to the news that new enforcement powers and police training have been provided for Southwark’s uniformed community wardens, who help keep streets and estates safe and deter antisocial behaviour.
The Labour-run council carried out targeted enforcement with the Met in Elephant & Castle in recent weeks, which included robbery and VAWG operations to deter phone snatches and to promote and increase signups to the nighttime women’s safety charter.
Labour councillors have also recently invested £1.4 million in upgrading council estates, including new security doors, working with tenants and leaseholders to make sure everyone feels safe at home.
In a statement, Cllr Natasha Ennin said:
“It is fantastic new that the Met will be following Labour’s recommendations for new police patrols in Walworth and Peckham.
Local people should always feel safe in our town centres, and this significant new police presence will deter crime in these areas and reassure residents that the Met are there to help should they need it.”
Peckham ward councillors said:
“This is an incredibly welcome change toward making sure local residents feel safe on our streets. Restoring neighbourhood policing is our priority and a dedicated team for our town centreis a significant step towards that goal.”
Walworth ward councillors said:
“As local Labour councillors we know our residents are concerned about crime in Walworth. This dedicated team of 14 police officers is incredibly welcome, and showcases our commitment to making Walworth’s streets safer.”