At Sutton Local Committee on Thursday 15 February we focused on community safety in the High Street and surrounding area.

Three senior police officers attended and gave us an update of what they are doing to keep us all safe.

In our ward (Sutton North) it was reported that there had been 8 burglaries in 2023 (the same number as 2022). Theft of motor vehicles was down from 18 to 6.

It is very important that everyone reports crimes when they occur so that we have accurate figures and can ensure we get our fair share of police resources.

The police reported that patrols have been increased recently, especially in the High Street and near the railway station, and we now have a dedicated Town Centre police team.

Most of the reported robberies are of mobile phones. The police had arrested two men the previous week who had been responsible for many of the phone thefts. Recent arrests of another two men in the High Street have reduced shop burglaries to zero.

The police reminded us that Sutton continues to be one of the safest boroughs in London but they agreed that more needs to be done to reduce crime further.

The young people present at the meeting asked questions about what they could do to prevent mobile phone robberies.

The police are working with all the borough schools and giving advice about how to prevent these crimes, along with the importance of reporting them when they happen.

We discussed the recent stabbings and the police informed us that in each case, the victim and perpetrators were known to each other.

The police agreed they need to improve their communications and let us know when arrests are made and progress is made in bringing criminals to justice.

The rest of the meeting dealt with questions from the public and the welcome news that several projects are being funded by the Council in our area.

That includes new street trees in Angel Hill Drive and new neighbourhood watch signs in various locations.

During 2023 the Council funded the following projects in our area:

• CCTV in Rosehill Park West and Greenshaw Wood
• New flagpoles and new planting in Rosehill Park
• A defibrillator in Granfers Community Centre
• Information signs on Sutton Green
• New column lighting on Sutton Green to improve visibility (expected in March)