SAFER NEIGHBOURHOODS NEWSLETTER

Well, another year has passed in Totteridge. There have been some changes to police personnel in that the Safer Neighbourhoods team leader Sergeant Lee Westhead has moved on to pastures new. Lee has transferred to Greater Manchester Police. Some say he could not cope with the "two Andys" and left a broken man. In his stead I have been appointed Acting Sergeant and hope tomeet the challenges of thewardwith the same professionalismand enthusiasmthat he displayed. We wish him well.

Another important development is the introduction of the Policing Pledge. What is this undertaking that the Metropolitan Police Service has initiated? I shall explain it to the best of my ability.

We will always treat you fairly, with dignity and respect, ensuring that everyone has access to our service at a time that is reasonable and suitable.

We will work to keep you and your neighbourhood safe from harm. Each ward has a dedicated Safer Neighbourhoods team that will provide a visible police presence and will only work elsewhere if absolutely necessary. They will spend at least 80 per cent of their time visibly working in your neighbourhood, tackling your local policing priorities.

We will publicise the details of your Safer Neighbourhoods team so that you know who your dedicated team is and how to contact them.

We will respond to every message directed to your Safer Neighbourhoods team within 24 hours.

For the team to fulfil this commitment we have changed our shift pattern to one that is more flexible. The Safer Neighbourhoods team does not deal with response or what is known in common parlance as "999" policing. In emergency situations please call 999.

Again this year we focused our energies on foiling burglary. It would appear that with your assistance and support the figureswill once again be relatively lowfor a borough of this scale. Without the public input this would not be the case. Your vigilance is, I am sure, the main reason for the figures.

Another of our targets for the yearwas to reduce the amount of antisocial behaviour by youths on the ward. This problem appears to have been all but quashed, but we will continue to monitor and deal with any problems should they appear.

Motor vehicle crimewas another focus for the teamand it appears that the information thatwe delivered to households on the ward with regard to keeping items of value out of sight - therefore making vehicle crime more difficult - has paid off. Yes, the occasional satellite navigation systemgets taken, but for the most part these thieves have been reduced to "nicking" spare wheels from unattended motor cars. This is not a crime wave; only one or two have been stolen. This indicates that items normally stolen from cars are not there to be taken. Overall, it has been a quiet year on the crime front. Long may it continue.

Andrew Corbett APS 216SX