Letter to residents from Prince's ward local police Sergeant

Dear resident,

I write you to as the Safer Neighbourhood Sergeant on the Prince's Ward, which is the local Policing team dedicated solely to policing your area.

As you will no doubt be aware London has suffered unprecedented occurrences of spontaneous crime and disorder over the past few days, which has unfortunately been caused by some people who live within the borough of Lambeth and may be residents of our ward.

You will be pleased to know that there have not been any such incidents within our community, but I am appealing for your help to bring the perpetrators to justice and to inform us of any criminal activity or disorder you feel may occur within the near future.

The people responsible have caused much pain and suffering to many people, businesses and business owners across London, and any assistance you can give in identifying anyone that you believe was involved will be greatly appreciated.

In particular if you saw or see any members of your community carrying or offering for sale any electrical or clothing items or any goods that did not look like they were procured in the usual manner, please let us know.

I encourage you to contact us directly or via Crimestoppers, which you can do so anonymously.

Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously either online via http://www.crimestoppers.co.uk/ or by telephone on 0800 555 111.

As a reminder all emergencies or incidents of crime which are happening ‘now’ should be called through to Police on 999.

All other non-emergency incidents can be brought to the attention of us on the dedicated Prince's Safer Neighbourhood Team mobile on 07920 233835 or landline 020 8721 2627.

You can also call the dedicated Metropolitan Police non-emergency number on 101.

Please report anything suspicious to us and help look after your community.

Yours sincerely,

Sergeant Bob Lockyer 59LX

LX - Lambeth Borough
Prince's Safer Neighbourhood Team

Kennington Police Station,
49-51 Kennington Road,
London
SE1 7QA

Telephone: 020 8721 2627 or 07920 233835 or 101
Princes.snt@met.police.uk
www.met.police.uk

(Photo from Wikimedia Commons: Anthony Newman from Leiden, Netherlands)

Vauxhall residents highlight Pleasure Gardens nightclub problems

Local residents from the Prince's Safer Neighbourhoods Team and the Friends of Vauxhall Spring Gardens are pushing for action to deal with problems associated with some of the nightclubs in the arches at Goding Street/ Albert Embankment.

There is confusion about who owns the land at Albert Embankment. The confusion has allowed businesses to erect structures on the pavement and grass which aren't licensed. Councillors have asked that the land ownership issue is sorted out so proper licensing of the outdoor activity can take place, to prevent problems like these screen blocking the pavement.

At the rear of the arches Goding Street is a real mess, no matter how many times the Council seems to clean the street.

On a Monday morning litter is strewn across Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens.

Some clubbers sit out in the park at all hours of the weekend - many of them leave considerable amounts of litter.

Now council officers and the police are getting involved to put pressure on the clubs whose patrons are causing the problems.

Councillor Mark Harrison said 'Vauxhall's nighttime economy is a fantastic benefit for the area, and we want to support it wherever we can. However, club owners have a responsibility to ensure they and their patrons aren't causing problems like littering in our area.'

Photos courtesy of Eamonn McMahon, Chair of the Prince's SNT.

Safer Neighbourhood Team meeting

Thursday saw the quarterly meeting of the Prince's ward Safer Neighbourhood Team Panel, at the Riverbank Park Plaza Hotel (pictured).

The meeting came only two days after this week's shooting on Black Prince Road, and Sergeant Bob Lockyear began by giving the Panel an update. Thankfully the victim is expected to recover, and several arrests have been made.

The majority of the meeting focused on serious problems with street drinkers around Glyn Street and Auckland Street, next to Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. The police made a commitment to focus their resources on this area , whilst councillors and council officers will work to try to tackle the problem of alcohol being sold to street drinkers by the off licenses in the area.

The next SNT Panel meeting is on 27 October at 6:30pm. All are welcome, and all residents' associations should consider sending somebody along.

The local police do regular surgeries and street briefings around the area:

What: Street briefing, When: 25/07/2011 - 15:00 - 16:00, Where: Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens

What: Street briefing, When: 04/08/2011 - 19:00 - 20:00, Where: Lambeth High Street Recreation Ground - Lambeth High Street

What: Street briefing, When: 21/08/2011 - 15:00 - 17:00, Where: Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens

What: Street briefing, When: 06/09/2011 - 10:00 - 11:00, Where: Durning Libary - Kennington Lane SE11

What: Crime Prevention Stall, When: 19/09/2011 - 10:00 - 11:00, Where: Lambeth High Street Recreation Ground - Lambeth High Street

What: Street briefing, When: 30/09/2011 - 10:00 - 11:00, Where: Lambeth High Street Recreation Ground - Lambeth High Street

What: Street briefing, When: 07/10/2011 - 10:00 - 11:00, Where: Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens

What: Drop-in surgery, When: 15/10/2011 - 10:00 - 11:00, Where: Durning Libary - Kennington Lane SE11

What: Street briefing, When: 04/11/2011 - 10:00 - 11:00, Where: Lambeth High Street Recreation Ground - Lambeth High Street

What: Street briefing, When: 18/11/2011 - 15:00 - 16:00, Where: Tyers Street juntion with Kennington Lane SE11

What: Crime Prevention Stall, When: 02/12/2011 - 15:00 - 16:00, Where: Lambeth High Street Recreation Ground - Lambeth High Street

Information about your local police is here

You can contact them directly on: Princes.snt@met.police.uk /07920 233835, though they don't work all of the time.

At other times call the police non-emergency number: 101.

In an emergency call 999.

Safer Neighbourhoods Update

Yesterday the Prince's Safer Neighbourhoods Panel met.

News included:

- A suspected prolific drug dealer in the area has been evicted after a police investigation assisted by the community

-There has been a major spike in burglaries in Prince's ward but this was down to one individual operating in one block of flats who has now been arrested

-There has been an increase in theft from motor vehicles

-The operators of the CCTV cameras on the Ethelred Estate have received a commendation from the Borough Commander for their work in assisting the police

-There have fewer incidents related to status dogs and dangerous dogs than this time last year

-PC Steve Lockyer has been promoted and is moving on from Prince's ward. PC Colin Buchan will also be moving on fairly soon. We will have two replacement PCs.

-Our ward priorities are now drugs, rough sleepers and antisocial street drinkers, theft from motor vehicles, and youth engagement.

Find out more about our Safer Neighbourhood Team here

Setting up a Neighbourhood Watch in your area

Lambeth Borough Police have appointed a new neighbourhood watch coordinator, whose job it is to encourage and support new and existing neighbouhood watch schemes.

Karen Hunn visited the Prince's ward Safer Neighbourhoods Panel meeting last week to tell residents about the scheme.

Existing residents' associations can form themselves into Neighbourhood Watches. Benefits include signs and stickers which help deter crime, reductions on home insurance, and free public liability insurance for burglary.

If you are interested in setting up a Neighbourhood Watch group, email Karen: Karen.Hunn@met.police.uk

Burglar-proof your home for free!

Clapham Park Project (a community regeneration project) has been awarded £99, 716 by the Home Office under the Safer Homes Fund. This funding is to be allocated across the whole of Lambeth.

Clapham Park Project is working with AGE UK (Help the Aged and Age Concern) who will provide locksmiths/handy people to install security measures to your home to make it more secure and help to prevent burglaries.

Age Concern have been commissioned to carry out this work and they are able to assess and carry out security work to all properties referred to the scheme. They are able to secure 120 properties per month. Night latches, spy hole, door chains, locks to windows and patio doors and other security assessments are some of the services provided for free.

If you are interested in receiving this service, please contact Clapham Park Project on the free phone number 0800 085 2378. This is an answer phone and you will be able to leave your name, address and contact details and we will call you back to give you more details. If you have any concerns, contact your local Safer Neighbourhood Teams for more information.

Get in touch ASAP - the money has to spent by the end of March!

BE SAFE, BEAT THE BURGLARS, CALL US NOW

Lambeth Walk anti-social behaviour meeting

A follow up meeting for residents of Lambeth Walk on anti-social behaviour has been organised for tomorrow evening.

Residents of Lupino Court, Pory House, and Lambeth Walk are invited to a meeting at 7pm at Pory Hall. The Police Safer Neighbourhoods Team, the Peabody Trust and the Ethelred TMO will all be attending.

RESIDENTS MEETING - Pory House and Lupino Court

Wednesday 19 August at 7pm

In Pory Hall, first floor above the shops on Lambeth Walk (ring the ground floor outside buzzer for access).

Last Friday's stabbing incident/anti-social behaviour at Lupino Court.

As you will know, last Friday there was a serious stabbing incident involving youths from the flats in Lupino Court.

Please come and meet other concerned residents, and talk to representatives from Peabody, Ethelred TMO and the local police, to discuss what needs to happen next.

We are extremely lucky that what happened did not lead to a murder. We need to make sure that this never happens. Come and tell your community representatives what you think needs to happen now, and find out how we can put an end to the anti-social behaviour at Lupino Court once and for all.

The following people will be there:
Claudius Opadiran - Peabody Neighbourhood Manager
Gudrun Burnet - Peabody Community Safety Team Leader
Judith Ihonor - Peabody Community Safety Officer/ Community Safety Team
Julie Fulgence - Ethelred TMO Estate Services Manager
Patricia Bogues - Ethelred TMO Senior Housing officer
Mark Harrison - Lambeth councillor for Prince's ward
Police officers from Prince's ward Safer Neighbourhood Team

Vauxhall Gardens coffee morning

Around 30 residents of the Vauxhall Gardens Estate attended Saturday's community coffee morning, held at the All Nations Centres on Tyers Terrace.

Issues raised with Cllr Lorna Campbell, Cllr Steve Morgan, and Kate Hoey MP included problems with council housing, dangerous dogs, and the state of Vauxhall Spring Gardens.

Two Community Support Officers from the local Safer Neighbourhoods Team also attended to speak to residents about their concerns about crime.

Safer Neighbourhoods Team meeting

Thursday 10 July saw the summer's Prince's Ward Safer Neighbourhoods Team meeting taking place at the Riverbank Plaza Hotel on the Albert Embankment.

Sergeant Bob Lockyear updated a packed room about the previous month's policing. The meeting agreed that the local police's priorities should continue to be dangerous dogs, thefts from vehicles, and drug users on estates. There was particular concern about dangerous dogs. Bob reassured people that if dog owners were using their dogs in a threatening or aggresive way then people shouldn't be timid about calling 999 to report them.

If you want to contact the Prince's Safer Neighbourhoods Team then call 020 7321 7570 / 07920 233835 or email princes.snt@met.police.uk

Vauxhall Gardens community meeting

Labour Action Team members Mark Harrison and Cllr Lorna Campbell attended a special community meeting at Vauxhall Primary School on Thursday 29 May. It was held to update the community on developments since the murder of Carmelita Tulloch two years' ago.

Sergeant Bob Lockyear updated the community on the work done in the past two years, since neighbourhood policing was set up. There are now six dedicated officers who work exclusively in Prince's ward. The Safer Neighbourhoods Team are focusing on thefts from motor vehicles, dangerous dogs, and crime associated with drug misuse.

Door entry systems on the Vauxhall Gardens estate have made a difference, and have reduced the problems with drug users using stairwells. Several crack houses in the area have been closed.

Residents complained that patrols were not frequent enough, and that they did not see officers patrolling all areas of the estate. Bob promised to look into this and instruct his officers to patrol all areas properly. There is a possibility that more PCSOs might be assigned to Prince's ward - Labour activists have promised to push the Council for this.

Council officers also updated the meeting on plans to replace windows and roofs on the estate, and the issue of the parking enforcement scheme. There is currently a ballot of residents to see if they want to continue to have parking enforcement on the estate.

Derrick Anderson, Chief Executive of Lambeth Council, was also at the meeting and promised to listen carefully and take away all the concerns of residents that he heard.

Action Team Member Mark Harrison said, 'it's clear to everyone that dangerous dogs are a concern for people on the Vauxhall Gardens estate, and across the area as a whole. I'm please the police are focusing on the issue, but clearly more needs to be done to tackle the problem'.

If you want to contact the Prince's Safer Neighbourhoods Team then call 020 7321 7570 / 07920 233835 or email princes.snt@met.police.uk