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Today the Met is launching the next phase of the New Met for London plan – and we are building on a mission that is working. We are driving down neighbourhood crime like phone-snatching and shoplifting by 15%, injuries from violence is at a 5-year low and we are arresting more than 1,000 extra criminals a month. Locally here in Southwark we have also seen some real achievements including: Reducing serious violence offences, focusing on gun and knife crime. Knife enabled crimes has dropped, with 44 fewer offences this year compared to the previous.Targeting crime and anti-social behaviour on our streets. There have been 589 fewer shoplifting offences so far, this financial year – a 28% drop.An increase in trust from Southwark residents, who have been more willing to report crime, with 218 more victims reporting an incident in Southwark this financial year so far.The New Met for London: Phase 2 strategy will see us: Put you and Londoners across the city at the heart of precise community crime-fighting, investing more in our local neighbourhood crime-fighting teams, driving performance on the frontline and making sure you can influence where we focus our efforts.Harness the power of technology and data to make a profound shift in how we police London and Southwark. Across the city the Met is looking at expanding the use of facial recognition technology and becoming even more precise in targeting the small number of offenders who cause the most harm, and the places and victims that suffer most.Build new partnerships and improve existing ones – whether with the public, private or the third sector – to achieve the best possible outcomes for you.As part of this commitment to listening to you, we hosted our Community Crime-Fighting event on Tuesday 4th November 2025, where you told us your main priorities were: Reduce drugs related anti-social behaviour across the borough.Increase police presence and visibility across the borough.Dangerous riding and anti-social behaviour by e-bikes. Thanks to your input, we are now working hard to tackle these issues by: Increasing high-visibility patrols and plain-clothes operations in hotspot areas across Southwark to deter drug-related antisocial behaviour and dangerous riding. Officers are conducting regular stop-and-searches and working with specialist units to disrupt those causing harm.Strengthening our Safer Neighbourhood Teams and holding regular community meetings to listen to residents’ concerns. We encourage reporting through 101, 999 in emergencies, and Crimestoppers for anonymous tips, ensuring your priorities shape our policing.Working closely with Southwark Council, housing providers, and youth services to address root causes of antisocial behaviour. At the same time, we are expanding the use of technology, including CCTV and data-led hotspot policing, to identify offenders and prevent repeat incidents.The full New Met for London 2 strategy is now available for you to read online. I want to keep the conversation going - so thank you for joining us on Met Engage, which was introduced to help us do exactly that. Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and warmest wishes for the New Year. Superintendent Jim Brockway 
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