My second week back after my knee operation and the sun is still shining across Merton in more ways than one!

I attended a Figges Marsh Public Meeting at St Marks Church Hall on Saturday (March 17) and it was really great to meet and engage with so many people.

I was rightly challenged about police performance and hopefully some of the commitments I made will have filtered out to you.

I am resolute in my promise to:

  1. put more officers onto the streets;
  2. reduce crime from the previous year.

I have tasked my senior management team to conduct a review our what our staff do (particularly those within non operational roles) and redefine roles and responsibilities to ensure neighbourhood policing remains the focus of Merton's approach to policing.

I also talked on Saturday about the need for you, our community to work with us and report activity that you feel is suspicious.

This is particularly important with crimes like burglary and I have again attached a map of the borough to highlight this point.

Over the last three months there have been several linked attempted burglaries within the Wimbledon Village.

These burglaries have been occurring during the hours of darkness, often targeting large detached homes and wires have been cut from burglar alarms and CCTV units.

This is not something that your "average burglar" will do and would probably require the use of ladders and a van.

Therefore I am asking for residents to be extra vigilant and contact 999 if they notice any suspicious activity in their area.

This may include:

  • People sitting in vehicles late at night;
  • Paying too much attention to yours or your neighbours house; or
  • People carrying any ladders/ tools outside of regular business hours.

If your home does not look secure or provides unobserved access it could be at risk.

Understanding what burglars look for when choosing their target will help you identify weak spots in your home's security:

  • Do not leave your car keys or ID documents near doors, letterbox or windows;
  • Close and lock all your doors and windows, even if you are only going out for a few minutes;
  • Keep your valuables out of sight;
  • Leave some lights on if it will be dark before you get home;
  • Install a visible burglar alarm;
  • Always keep sheds and outbuildings locked;
  • Consider the use of security precautions such as anti-climb paint and CCTV;
  • Keep an eye on neighbouring properties and if you see anything suspicious contact the police.

Anyone with information about any of the recent burglaries can contact the police on 101. In an emergency always dial 999.

Alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800555111

I am still loving my job here, it’s a fabulous place to work and I know together we can turn it into the safest place in London

Darren

Detective Chief Superintendent Darren Williams is the borough commander for Merton Police. He joined in January 2012 and wants Wimbledon Guardian readers to contact him with ideas on how to improving policing in our borough.

To put forward a suggestion or a question, email: newsdesk@wimbledonguardian.co.uk and put "Merton police" in the subject line.

Click here for more messages from the borough commander.