Sutton’s new borough commander has vowed to engage the borough’s youth and tackle antisocial behaviour head on.

Speaking on his first day in the post, Chief Superintendent Guy Ferguson, 48, who has lived in Sutton for 25 years, said his priorities would also include building on existing operations to crack down on burglary and motor vehicle crime.

He said: “Young people often get criticised for what is only a tiny minority of them are involved in, but the reality is most young people are bright, enthusiastic, energetic people.

“Part of the police’s job is to allow them to reach their full potential by supporting activities such as the Kickz football project and police cadets.

“Also antisocial behaviour is a major concern, for example for elderly people who do not understand why young people gather in groups, but it is also an issue which is intergenerational.”

Mr Ferguson said he would take a “robust” approach to policing and “no-nonsense” view on those who break the law, going after criminals’ assets where appropriate.

He said: “I want the message to be that crime does not pay.”

Mr Ferguson, who comes to the post fresh from being head of the Met’s safer neighbourhoods since September 2008, said he also wanted to install more confidence in policing.

He said: “I want people to be satisfied with what we are doing, I want our officers to be responsive and polite and to achieve policing that the public, and police officers, can be proud of.”

In answer to a question about knife and gun crime in the borough Mr Ferguson said that such incidents were rare, but he would “absolutely ensure” that they would be dealt with in a “robust and professional manner”.

He said he would look at existing measures to tackle the problem, such as a higher police presence in the areas they are most likely to happen, making sure licensed premises do not serve people who have drunk too much and making use of an “excellent” CCTV system.

Before working in the safer neighbourhood’s team, Mr Ferguson was Detective Superintendent and deputy borough commander at Wandsworth for three-and-a-half years and a senior investigating officer in the serious crime directorate and Anti-Corruption Command.

Mr Ferguson, who is also a member of the Mass Disasters Advisory Team, said he also wanted to build on an existing “embedded” partnership with Sutton Council to try and reduce crime.