The Wandsworth Council Safer Neighbourhood Board met to discuss crime statistics, alternative reporting methods, and support for victims of hidden abuse. The board reviewed crime data, heard presentations on video appointments and hidden abuse, and discussed questions submitted for the Superintendent for Wandsworth. The next meeting is scheduled for 9 December 2025.

Station Office Closures

Superintendent Gany Rajan, Superintendent for Wandsworth Neighbourhoods, announced that station office closures would be taking place across the Metropolitan Police due to a £260 million shortfall. He explained that there has been a steady decline in the use of front counter services, with only 5% of all reported crimes now coming in through the front office, compared to 95% reported through other means.

The closure of some front offices would save the Met in the region of £7 million and generate a significant number of police hours back for front-line deployment. Lavender Hill is currently earmarked for closure.

Superintendent Gany Rajan stated that the nearest front office will be in Kingston, but it will operate on reduced hours. He also noted that the central team is considering staffing the port-a-cabin at Wandsworth custody with volunteers or staff for certain hours of the day.

Councillor Sarah Davis raised concerns that the 5% of people who report in person still accounts for thousands of reports, and it would be useful to know more about who prefers to report in person and why, to understand if they will be able to access alternative methods.

Superintendent Gany Rajan responded that a phone will be available directly outside the police station, and officers can attend appointments to take statements from people in their homes.

Trevor Hutton asked what the saving would be for Wandsworth by closing Lavender Hill. Superintendent Gany Rajan responded that the corporate decision was based on custody suites, and Wandsworth custody does not have a custody suite at Lavender Hill. He stated that 3.1 reports per day are reported at Lavender Hill.

Safer Neighbourhood Board Data Pack

Superintendent Gany Rajan presented the Safer Neighbourhood Board Data Pack, which included data discrepancies that had been updated in the last hour by the local authority data team. The updated data pack was circulated to everyone by email.

Key discussion points from the data pack included:

• Total Notifiable Offences (TNOs): There was an increase in TNOs, partly due to Operation Slavin, which increased investigations into shoplifting. Shoplifting itself has decreased in the last four weeks by 25%. Motor vehicle crime, personal robbery, and theft snatch offences also contributed to the increase in TNOs.
• Offences by Ward: Balham had the highest increase, predominantly due to shoplifting.
• Burglary: There was a decrease in offences due to covert and overt operations, the use of DNA kits, and signs in conjunction with the council's SelectaDNA ¹ initiative.
• Personal Robbery: There was a decrease due to operations like OP RAW in the Nine Elms area, which involved specialist units from across the Met. > Overall, when the analysts did all of their work, it showed that there was an 84% reduction in offending within that footprint. > Superintendent Gany Rajan
• Vehicle Crime: Operations targeting key individuals have helped decrease vehicle crime.
• Violence Against the Person: There was an increase due to assaults in open spaces and private/licensed premises. CCTV vehicles and operations like Operation Martello in Tooting Broadway and Section 35 dispersals ² have been implemented.
• Sexual Offences: There was a decrease in sexual offences, which range from rape to sexual touching to exposure. The police work with the local authority community safety team to implement target hardening measures like CCTV. A safe space tent is planned for Tooting Broadway in the new year, operating one Friday every month with volunteers and police officers.
• Domestic Abuse Reports: There has been an increase in domestic abuse reports, possibly due to increased confidence in reporting.

Video Appointments Presentation

Inspector Craig Wendt gave a presentation on video appointments, explaining that the service began in December 2024 and has completed over 30,800 appointments since then. The video appointments are offered as an alternative to in-person visits for low-risk crimes, giving the victim a choice.

According to surveys, 85% of respondents who have used the video appointment service would pick it over an in-person visit next time, with 87% saying the service met or exceeded their expectations. Inspector Craig Wendt stated that the service has saved 33,880 officer hours in travel time and appointment time.

Inspector Craig Wendt noted that the video appointment system has been particularly useful in professional settings like hospitals and schools, and in cases of hate crime where victims may be hesitant to report in person.

The system uses an app called Good Sam, which has an inbuilt translation function for different languages.

In response to a question about hate crimes reported via video, Inspector Craig Wendt stated that the Met are not yet able to track the prosecution rate of video reports, but that a similar scheme run by Kent police saw better victim outcomes and better outcomes at court.

Hidden Abuse Presentation

Chrissy Green, from Refuge, gave a presentation on hidden abuse, focusing on financial abuse. She explained that Refuge offers various services, including refuge accommodation, a 24-hour helpline, a specialist tech abuse service, sanctuary schemes, and community outreach services.

In Richmond and Wandsworth, Refuge has a team of IDVAs (Independent Domestic Violence Advocates) and an ISVA who provide support to victims of domestic abuse through the criminal and civil justice systems.

Chrissy Green explained that economic abuse includes sabotaging someone's income, limiting their access to money, taking their wages, or taking out debt in their name without their knowledge. Refuge works with Barclays and PayPlan to provide financial support to victims.

Refuge also offers an enhanced support service for people with multiple disadvantages, such as mental health issues, physical disabilities, homelessness, or drug and alcohol misuse.

Chrissy Green stated that referrals can be made to the Richmond and Wandsworth IDVA team via email at richmondwandsworthrefuge.org.uk, or to the enhanced support service at outreachswlcn@refuge.org.uk.

In response to a question about cultural hidden abuse, Chrissy Green stated that Refuge has had extensive harmful practices training and can offer specialist support or referrals to culturally specific services. She clarified that unless a referral comes via the police or MARAC, it has to be a consent-based referral.

Questions for the Superintendent for Wandsworth

Superintendent Gany Rajan responded to questions submitted by Stacey Smith, Furzedown Safer Neighbourhood Ward Panel Chair:

• Impact of closing Lavender Hill police station: Superintendent Gany Rajan stated that there should be no significant impact on emergency service response times or non-emergency reporting.
• Trends and community protection: Superintendent Gany Rajan stated that police are prioritizing prevention for vulnerable residents through school officers, ward patrols, and visits to various venues.
• Violence against women and girls: Superintendent Gany Rajan stated that live facial recognition is deployed to Tooting Broadway, and Operation RANA addresses spiking.

Inspector Steve Burke added that he has been working with Parkrun UK to engage with the community and address concerns about violence against women and girls.

Stop and Search Update

The Stop and Search Update stated that monitoring of Stop and Search within Wandsworth has restarted, with two sessions viewing body-worn video and a face-to-face meeting to debate the way forward. The update noted that the location for all three meetings was Lavender Hill Police Station.

Ward Panel Chair Comments and Updates

The board considered the written Ward Panel Updates, which included information on local crime trends, community safety initiatives, and concerns raised by residents.