7:00am Wednesday 1st September 2010
Offences in Merton’s most crime-hit streets have dropped by a fifth thanks to a new police operation, the borough commander has said.
Chief Superintendent Dick Wolfenden said: “It’s encouraging - these are significant numbers.” The pilot scheme could eventually be rolled out across London.
Operation Lockdown, which began in July, has seen police officers from safer neighbourhood teams (SNTs) across Merton drafted in for extra patrols in the five wards with the highest crime rate - Cricket Green, Lavender Fields, Abbey, Colliers Wood and Figges Marsh.
This week Chief Supt Wolfenden said total recorded offences in the five wards during the first six weeks of the operation were down by 20 per cent compared to the same period in 2009, with robberies falling by 33 per cent.
He said in the first two weeks of the initiative officers used intelligence and tip offs from the community to confront 189 suspected criminals in the area - more than three times their usual figure.
Chief Supt Wolfenden said the transfer of officers was not impacting on policing elsewhere in the borough. He added if the good results continued the system would be extended beyond its planned end date of October 31 - and could be repeated across the city.
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