[New] SAFER POLICING

Firstly, we hope you all had a very safe and enjoyable Christmas and New Year. Sidcup Safer Neighbourhood Team have been busy focusing on anti-social behaviour on the ward and motor vehicle related crime over the last few months. We have been liaising closely with Bexley Council’s community safety team, Kent Police and BTP to try and resolve a problem with a particular group who have been regularly committing anti-social behaviour and various other crimes in the Sidcup & Bexley area.

Several youths have been either been arrested or invited in for voluntary interviews in relation to theft and criminal damage. Three of these youths have received community resolutions which is an agreement between the victim and the suspects to repair or pay for damage and stay away from the area. There is still ongoing work surrounding three other youths for which we are working with the council to secure injunctions against them banning them from Sidcup and putting conditions on them to kerb their behaviour. Currently due to some of the youths being moved out of the area we have seen a dramatic decrease in the anti-social behaviour being reported to us.

In December the team worked with our colleagues from neighbouring wards, Kent Police and the motor vehicle crime unit on a 2 day police operation covering the Metropolitan and Kent Police borders targeting o enders committing cross border crime such as vehicle thefts and burglaries. Unfortunately on the first night a pursuit of a vehicle on false plates carrying a group out committing keyless car thefts ended in the suspect vehicle crashing in to a house. The operation resulted in the arrest of 7 people (one of which was recalled to prison) 18 stop and searches, 4 community resolutions issued, 5 public space protection order fines issued, 1 vehicle seizure and 4 stolen cars being recovered.

Vehicle crime, particularly high value keyless car thefts, is still very prevalent. With the assistance of The Sidcup BID we have managed to secure funding for faraday pouches and catalytic converter marking kits. Throughout January and February, the team will be focusing on delivery of faraday pouches to as many addresses within Sidcup Ward as possible and we will be holding another catalytic converter marking event which have been very successful when held previously. Please keep an eye out on social media for event dates and information.