Crime in Chaucer, Southwark

Officers have been proactively tackling cycle-enabled mobile phone robberies across the ward by focusing on known hotspot locations, including:

• Great Dover Street
• Newington Causeway
• Borough High Street
• New Kent Road

A high-visibility policing approach has been adopted in these areas to both prevent offences and disrupt ongoing criminal activity. Patrols have been targeted at peak times and locations where incidents have been reported, providing reassurance to the public and deterring offenders.
In addition, strategic operations are being conducted proactively targeting two-wheel enabled crime, with a focus on identifying, locating, and arresting offenders involved in these offences.
Alongside this, the team has been conducting high-visibility patrols to address Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). This includes:

• Engaging directly with members of the public to deliver crime prevention advice
• Offering guidance on personal safety and reducing vulnerability to robbery
• Working in partnership with local businesses, venues, and agencies to promote VAWG initiatives
• Supporting awareness campaigns aimed at improving safety, particularly in public and night-time economy settings

This coordinated approach is designed to reduce offending, improve public confidence, and raise awareness of personal safety measures across the ward.

The team has been addressing ongoing issues relating to drug use and associated anti-social behaviour affecting the local community, particularly within housing estates and park areas, which has had a detrimental impact on residents’ wellbeing and feelings of safety.
Officers are conducting regular high-visibility and plain-clothes patrols in locations identified as hotspots for drug-related activity. These patrols are focused on disrupting offenders, deterring further criminality, and providing reassurance to the community.

Enforcement activity has included the proactive use of stop and search powers, resulting in:

• The seizure of controlled drugs
• Arrests of offenders
• Charges and successful convictions at court

The team has also taken robust action against premises linked to drug activity. Working alongside partner agencies, officers have successfully obtained Closure Orders for a number of properties being used as drug dens. These actions have:

• Shut down illegal drug operations
• Reduced associated anti-social behaviour
• Safeguarded vulnerable individuals linked to these locations

This ongoing, proactive approach aims to disrupt drug-related crime, improve the quality of life for residents, and create a safer local environment.

Officers have been targeting specific locations across the ward where groups within the street population and street drinkers have been causing nuisance and negatively impacting local residents’ quality of life.

A consistent and structured enforcement approach has been adopted, utilising available community protection powers to address persistent anti-social behaviour. This has included:

• Issuing Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) warnings
• Serving Community Protection Warning Notices (CPWs)
• Enforcing Community Protection Notices (CPNs) where appropriate
• Dispersal Orders in parks

These powers are being used to challenge behaviour, set clear expectations, and prevent ongoing nuisance within the community.
This activity is further supported by regular high-visibility patrols in identified hotspot areas, aimed at deterring offending, disrupting gatherings, and providing reassurance to residents.

In addition to enforcement, officers are working closely with partner agencies and support services to take a safeguarding-led approach where required. This includes:

• Engaging with individuals to assess needs
• Signposting vulnerable persons to appropriate support and rehabilitation services
• Working collaboratively to reduce repeat ASB and support long-term behaviour change

This balanced approach of enforcement and engagement is designed to reduce anti-social behaviour, improve public confidence, and support those in need of assistance.