|
I wanted to provide an update regarding knife crime, which some members around this area have highlighted as an issue of concern on the Met Engage priority survey. We are aware that many people may be worried about knife crime in their local communities. We are committed to tackling knife crime wherever we find it, in order to keep you safe. If you would like to know more about the guidance that is available, our website includes a number of important resources that can offer guidance, including what to do if you think someone you know needs help, how to keep people safe, and support organisations you can talk to. Passing on information to organisations such as Crimestoppers or Fearless can not only help after a crime or incident, but vitally stop something from happening. Message to Our Community
As we come to the end of the year, I want to share some positive news about the progress we’ve made together in keeping our neighbourhoods safe.
Across the South West Basic Command Unit which includes the Borough of Richmond, we’ve seen significant reductions in crime:
• Personal robberies have fallen by 15.5%
• Knife-enabled crime is down by 22.5%
• Knife-enabled robberies have reduced by 30%
• Overall, neighbourhood offences have decreased by 6.3%. Neighbourhood offences include: Domestic burglary, Robbery, Theft from the person, Vehicle-related theft and Cycle theft
In addition, SW BCU now has the highest positive outcome rate in the Metropolitan Police Service for sexual offences, at 16.7%, which is a 7% improvement on last year. This means more victims are seeing justice and support.
We’ve also made great strides in safeguarding vulnerable people. Reports of missing persons have dropped by 20.6% overall, including a 14.8% reduction for adults and 23.1% for children. This is a hugely encouraging result and reflects the hard work of our teams and partners.
These achievements are not down to one team alone—they are the result of a collective effort from officers, staff, volunteers, and our community partners. Your engagement and support have been vital in helping us achieve these outcomes.
Public trust in policing remains strong, with confidence in SW BCU recorded at 85%, the highest in the Met. This trust is something we value deeply and will continue to work hard to maintain.
Looking ahead, we know challenges remain, but we are committed to building on this progress and continuing to put communities first. Thank you for working with us to make our neighbourhoods safer.
 If you ever experience this issue or have information regarding an incident, please report it using our online reporting tools at https://www.met.police.uk/, speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room via our online web chat or call the non-emergency number 101. We are working on our brand-new strategy for how we police London and we want your help. Our New Met for London: Phase 2 strategy will guide how we deliver on behalf of Londoners over the next three years. | 
