Vandalism / Graffiti Update

Vandalism / Graffiti Update

I wanted to provide an update regarding Vandalism/ graffiti, which members around this area have highlighted as an issue of concern on the Met Engage priority survey.

We have recently received a number of reports relating to fly-tipping, graffiti and other street cleaning issues within the local area. To help ensure these matters are addressed as quickly and effectively as possible, residents are encouraged to report concerns directly to the council via the "Report Street Cleaning Problems" page using the link below.

https://www.sutton.gov.uk/environment/report-street-cleaning-problems#/

Reporting issues through the council website enables them to be logged with the appropriate department for prompt assessment and action. This includes concerns such as fly-tipping, graffiti, litter, overflowing bins and other street cleanliness issues.

Thank you for helping to keep our neighbourhood clean, safe and well maintained. By reporting issues directly to the council, residents can help ensure problems are identified and resolved as efficiently as possible.

We want to ensure everyone is able to keep their property safe from vandalism or defacement in your local area. As such, through conversations with homeowners, members of the public, police officers and staff we’ve collated our 5 Top Tips for safeguarding a property. Please see the advice listed below:

• Stay visible: Having a property that can’t be seen from the street may make it more susceptible to being a target of vandalism. Make sure you are limiting places around your property where vandals can hide. 
• Create a fence/boundary: By doing this, you’re creating a visible barrier that works as a reminder that if someone crosses uninvited, they would be trespassing. 
• Keep it secure: Evaluate your property and be sure to safeguard vulnerable points such as ground floor windows with one-metre high sharp, prickly bushes. 
• Extra security: If you have a surface which anyone can sit on – like a ledge or a low wall – some carefully placed plants can work as a good deterrent. Also, you can secure the side and rear boundary of your property with a two-metre-high fence topped with a trellis.
• Keep it tidy: If the property looks untidy, some people won’t think twice about adding to it or simply hanging around in the area. We would advise you not to leave rubbish, ladders, wheelie bins or anything else that could be used for burglary or vandalism in the property's vicinity. 

For more advice and up-to-the-minute information about the latest crime prevention products, visit Secured by Design – an official police security initiative.

We want your help to shape the future of policing across London. We are seeking your views on our new inclusion strategy to ensure that the Met is a police service that is trusted, representative and more effective at keeping London safe. You can have your say on our Inclusion Strategy consultation which runs until Thursday 26 November.