Mottingham, Coldharbour & New Eltham Crime Intelligence

Drug Use and Drug Dealing
Issue:
Residents continue to raise concerns about drug use and suspected drug dealing within the ward, particularly around repeat locations and known individuals. These issues are linked to antisocial behaviour, acquisitive crime, and a reduced sense of safety for the community.

What we are doing:
The Neighbourhood Team is taking robust and targeted action against those involved in drug-related activity.

Intelligence-led policing is being used to identify offenders, locations, and patterns of offending. Information provided by residents is actively assessed and acted upon.
Officers are conducting a mixture of high-visibility and plain-clothes patrols, deployed at varying times and locations, guided by crime and intelligence data.
Stop and search remains an essential disruption tactic and will continue to be used proportionately and lawfully where grounds exist.
Where appropriate, antisocial behaviour legislation is being used alongside powers under the Misuse of Drugs Act to disrupt activity and reduce harm.
The team is working closely with partner agencies to ensure drug users are referred for support, while those dealing or supplying drugs face the strongest possible enforcement action.
Drug warrants will continue to be carried out as intelligence develops, and results will be shared with the community where possible.

Outcome:
We will continue to disrupt and frustrate drug-related activity, protect vulnerable residents, and ensure that those responsible for dealing drugs are identified and brought to justice.

Issue:

There has been an increase in residential burglaries in certain areas of the ward, causing concern among residents and contributing to fear of crime. Feedback from the community has highlighted a desire for greater visibility, targeted patrols, and practical crime‑prevention advice.

What we are doing:
The Neighbourhood Team has put targeted measures in place to prevent offending, identify suspects, and reassure residents.

Officers are conducting high‑visibility patrols in burglary hotspot locations, focused on key times identified through crime pattern analysis.
Plain‑clothes patrols are being deployed to proactively identify and arrest those suspected of burglary and associated offences.

The team is undertaking doorstep engagement and community visits in affected streets to provide tailored burglary prevention advice and listen to residents’ concerns.

Intelligence received from the public is being actively reviewed and shared with response and specialist teams to support offender identification and enforcement activity.

Met Engage is being used to improve communication with residents, including crime prevention messaging, updates, and appeals for information.
Where offenders are identified, the team works closely with investigative units to progress prosecutions and reduce repeat offending.

How residents can help:
Residents are encouraged to report suspicious behaviour and share information with officers. Information can also be reported anonymously via Crimestoppers:
? https://crimestoppers-uk.org/ — Your anonymity is guaranteed.

Outcome:
Through targeted patrols, community engagement, and proactive enforcement, we aim to reduce burglaries, bring offenders to justice, and improve confidence and safety across the ward.

Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG)

Issue:
Residents have raised concerns about personal safety, harassment, domestic abuse, and sexual violence, particularly in public spaces and during evening hours as daylight increases. Women and girls have told us they want to feel safer within their neighbourhoods, including parks and routes used for exercise and travel.

What we are doing:
The Neighbourhood Team is taking proactive and victim-focused action to reduce harm and improve confidence.

Patrols have been stepped up in identified hotspots, with officers engaging directly with residents to better understand where they feel most vulnerable to harassment or violence.

Officers continue to pursue, arrest, and investigate offenders involved in domestic abuse and sexual offences, working closely with specialist units to ensure cases are built to the highest standard.

Where offenders are convicted, the team will continue to seek the strongest possible outcomes and sentencing, placing victim safety at the centre of our approach.

As the evenings become lighter, patrols have been increased in parks and open spaces, providing a familiar and reassuring police presence for women and girls wishing to exercise or spend time outdoors safely.

Engagement and reassurance patrols remain ongoing to reduce fear of crime, identify safeguarding opportunities, and encourage reporting.

Outcome:
By increasing visibility, listening to residents, and taking firm enforcement action against offenders, we aim to improve safety, confidence, and trust—ensuring women and girls feel protected and supported in our ward.

I would continue to ask our residents to voice any concerns they have so we can build on any intelligence and action where necessary.