Sutton Neighbourhood Watch – August 2026 Newsletter

Dear Resident,

Welcome to the August 2026 edition of the Sutton Neighbourhood Watch (SNHW) newsletter. We hope you and your family are enjoying the summer and making the most of everything Sutton has to offer. 💙

In this edition, we highlight our upcoming AGM, which we hope many of you will be able to attend. We also draw your attention to several important items: the latest update on our membership project including an appeal for you to verify your email address on the national system if you have not already done so; a request for help from the police to our members; and the importance of joining your local police panel.

We then bring you encouraging news on falling neighbourhood crime across London; a local child facing a serious terrorism charge; practical advice on protecting your vehicle and local wildlife; wide-ranging scams update to help you and your neighbours stay safe; and an update on the Metropolitan Police's use of new technology.

📅 We look forward to welcoming you at our SNHW Annual General Meeting (AGM)

Our AGM will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday 16 September 2026 in Room G1, Civic Offices, St Nicholas Way, Sutton, SM1 1EA — with refreshments available from 6.30 p.m.  As well as the usual AGM business, the meeting will include a talk by one of our senior police officers and a presentation on cuckooing, where a criminal takes over a vulnerable person’s home and uses it for nefarious reasons. Members are warmly welcome to bring along non-members who may be interested in attending. We hope to see you there.

Membership update – very important – please help us by passing on this information to family, friends and neighbours

For financial reasons we were forced to end our contract with our communications provider at the end of June and have moved membership information to the national Neighbourhood Watch database, which means Neighbourhood Alert (this system) is our only method of contact. Although the system is national, Sutton’s membership information will be routinely managed locally by our existing administrators/volunteers.

As a verified user you will continue receiving our newsletter, but those members who have not, or do not, accept our email verification request will have their membership information deleted after 30 days and will no longer hear from Sutton Neighbourhood Watch.  We have a built an extensive membership over the last decades which has contributed to making Sutton one of London's safest boroughs, and we do not want this to become less effective as a result of a simple communication change.  Please then give us your support by highlighting that very important verification step with your family, friends and neighbours - community interaction like this is a vital part of our work, and we sincerely hope that you will understand its importance.

Sutton Safer Neighbourhood Teams and Neighbourhood Watch: Safer Open Spaces

Neighbourhood Watch members play a vital role in supporting Sutton Safer Neighbourhood Teams to keep parks and open spaces safe. Through their local knowledge and community networks, they can help identify concerns, highlight emerging issues, and support crime prevention efforts. 

How You Can Help - Neighbourhood Watch members are encouraged to:

Information Sharing - Information provided by Neighbourhood Watch members can help identify:

This information helps local officers target patrols, deploy resources effectively, and address issues before they escalate.

Working Together - By working together, Sutton Safer Neighbourhood Teams, Neighbourhood Watch, residents, and partner agencies can identify risks early, prevent crime, and improve safety across the borough's parks and open spaces.

Together, we can make Sutton's open spaces safer, more welcoming, and more enjoyable for everyone and if you are interested in finding out more, please get in contact with your local Safer Neighbourhoods Team. 

Do you live or work in Sutton Central and care about safety in your high street?

If so, please see the appeal from Sergeant James Carvey below:

“Hello everyone, to introduce myself – I am Sergeant James Carvey with the Sutton Central Safer Neighbourhood Team here within Sutton Police. My team also covers the Sutton Town Centre area.  I have been with the police for 14 years now, spending the last 5 as a Sergeant and the last 3 here on Sutton Central. 

All of us on Safer Neighbourhoods work closely with our partners in the Neighbourhood Watch – we can share concerns and comments with each other, and they are able to provide us with information which we may otherwise have not had access to. This enables us to ensure that our patrols are conducted in the areas where they will make the most difference. 

Another key part of our contact with the community is through Ward Panels. The members of the ward panel are made up from people who live or work within the respective wards, and who can raise issues which are affecting the community and speak directly with us. We will also hold more formal quarterly meetings (online and/or in person); where we are able to set priorities for the work we do within the Neighbourhood teams in collaboration with the members.

The Sutton Central Ward Panel is currently without a Chair and we would love to have some additional members from within our communities to join us in shaping how the police and the community can work together.

If you would be interested in joining the ward panel, or would like to request some additional information; please contact us. 

You can also contact us via Met Engage where you will receive information which is tailored to the issues of concern for residents and which will be bespoke to the area you live.

I look forward to meeting some of you at future ward panel meetings!

Sergeant Carvey”

📉 Neighbourhood Crime Significantly Falls in London

There is often a misconception that crime in our borough is increasing, and this is most notably fuelled by social media.  The fact remains, however, that Sutton remains one of the safest boroughs in London and alongside that fact there is real good news to share this month: neighbourhood crime across London fell by 14 per cent in the twelve months to June 2026, the equivalent of more than 35,000 fewer offences. This includes 23,311 fewer thefts from the person (-23%), 2,943 fewer personal robberies (-11%) and 8,737 fewer vehicle offences (-9%).

The Metropolitan Police credits sustained targeted policing, high-visibility patrols, intelligence-led operations and technology tools including live facial recognition cameras and drones. 

Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: "London is safe and getting safer each year. Neighbourhood policing is the foundation of what we do." 

Sutton continues to rank among the safest boroughs in London, a testament to strong community partnerships and the collective effort of our residents. 🛡️

More information can be found here. 

⚠️ Local Boy Charged with Terrorism Offence Following an Investigation

Many of you may have heard the news report about the shocking case of a local 14-year-old boy being charged with a terrorism offence following a Counter Terrorism Policing London investigation. He was arrested on 9 July and subsequently charged with preparation of terrorist acts under the Terrorism Act 2006 in connection with an alleged plan to target two local mosques, as well as racially aggravated criminal damage. Whilst police have confirmed there is no enduring wider threat, we are all encouraged to remain vigilant, and the mosques likely to be targeted have been contacted and are receiving support.

Our young people face many sorts of peer pressure and often are fed misinformation by undesirable sources.  If you are concerned that a child or young person may be vulnerable to radicalisation, please contact Action Counters Terrorism (ACT Early) at https://actearly.uk/

or call the Act Early Support Line in confidence on 0800 011 3764. Early intervention can make a significant difference. For any concerns, you can also speak to your local Safer Neighbourhoods Team.

More information on this case can be found here. 

🚗 Local Priority: Theft from Motor Vehicles

Local officers have noted a recent increase in motor vehicle thefts, with Toyota cars among those affected. Warmer weather brings more activity and more opportunities for thieves. We can ourselves protect ourselves and our property so please be aware of the following advice:

And, if you see suspicious activity around vehicles, please report it to police. Together we can help keep our community safe this summer. 🔐

🌿 Wildlife Crime Update: Protect Our Local Wildlife

There have sadly been reports of the wildlife in our parks and open spaces being killed or injured.  Wildlife is an important part of our community, and whilst many of us are aware of the need to protect of our wildlife, there have unfortunately been incidents of harm to wild animals, damage to habitats and misuse of catapults continue to be reported. Wildlife crime, including injuring protected species, damaging nests and illegal hunting, carries serious penalties including fines and imprisonment.

With more children outdoors this summer, parents are encouraged to speak with young people about respecting wildlife. Catapults are not toys: using one to injure wildlife is a criminal offence and may lead to prosecution. Report suspected wildlife crime via 999 (emergency), 101 (non-emergency) or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. 🐦

More information is available from the Met police here. 

🤖 The Met Embraces Technology to Stay Ahead of Crime

Criminals are becoming more sophisticated, so the police need to make every effort to keep ahead.  It is encouraging therefore that Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has set out an ambitious plan to use technology to tackle crime more effectively. Three key tools are already showing results:

The Commissioner was clear: "Policing today will fail if it is not allowed to keep pace with criminals through technology." Officers remain at the heart of every decision as technology supports human judgement rather than replaces it.

More information is available here. 

🚨Fraud and Cybercrime: A Victim Support Booklet

The Metropolitan Police has produced a booklet — Information for Victims of Economic & Cyber Crime — packed with practical, step-by-step advice on what to do if you have been targeted by fraud or cybercrime. Reporting — even if no money was taken — helps police and other agencies understand these crimes and protect others.  As the booklet is 84 pages long, we will also add it to the Crime Information tab on our website.

As our effectiveness in making Sutton a better place to live by combatting crime and antisocial behaviour, is proportionate to our membership, can you encourage your friends and neighbours to join please and think about ways in which you can help us by spending just a few hours a week volunteering. Our full list of roles and where we carry vacancies is on our website so please let us know if you are interested.  Thank you.

And finally, we are very grateful to everyone who works alongside us: you as our members, those who serve on our committee; ward volunteers and community partners. Someone who has supported our Stonecot Ward for many years is Colin Newton of www.kippabidltd.co.uk.  Colin has been mindful of the need to keep our communities safe, has worked closely and generously with us and has provided the kind of help that has helped make Stonecot one of our most proactive wards. Thank you, Colin, for your continued support.

Yours sincerely,

Anna

On behalf of your Committee