London Bridge and West Bermondsey

Robbery

This priority focuses on robbery hotspots where members of the public are targeted for mobile phones, bags and other valuables. Key locations include Tooley Street, Borough High Street, St Thomas Street, and Tower Bridge Road. Offences range from knife-point robberies to cycle-enabled phone snatches.

Ward officers provide a regular and visible policing presence across these areas to detect and deter criminal activity. Patrols are intelligence-led, focusing on peak times and locations where robbery offences are most prevalent.

The Safer Neighbourhood Team actively engages with the public, offering crime prevention advice to reduce vulnerability and raise awareness. Additional funding has been secured to support increased patrols and preventative signage throughout the ward.

Officers also conduct regular weapon sweeps in identified hotspots to locate and remove hidden weapons, helping to reduce the risk of their use in violent crime.

Shoplifting and prolific offenders

The London Bridge & West Bermondsey ward has a high number of small supermarkets that are frequently targeted by prolific shoplifters. These offenders are often linked to wider issues within the ward, including drug use and vagrancy.

The Safer Neighbourhoods Team works closely with local businesses to identify prolific repeat offenders responsible for the majority of shoplifting offences.

Officers actively pursue enforcement action against these individuals, securing charges and applying for Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBOs) to restrict and manage ongoing offending within the area.

The ward team has achieved strong results in tackling persistent offenders, with a significant number of charges secured, helping to reduce repeat offending and support local businesses.

Begging, Rough Sleeping and Drug-Related Anti-Social Behaviour

The London Bridge & West Bermondsey ward experiences ongoing issues relating to beggars, rough sleepers, and street drinkers, particularly in Borough High Street, London Bridge Station, and Tooley Street. This contributes to anti-social behaviour, including rowdiness around local businesses, littering and waste near residential areas, and visible drug use. These issues are also linked to other ward priorities, including shoplifting.

The Safer Neighbourhoods Team uses Community Protection Warnings (CPWs) and Community Protection Notices (CPNs) to address and reduce anti-social behaviour linked to drug use and street population activity.

Officers utilise stop and search powers where grounds exist, and individuals found in possession of drugs are dealt with appropriately through the criminal justice system.

The team regularly engages with members of the street population, signposting them to support services aimed at housing, rehabilitation, and substance misuse assistance.

Joint patrols are conducted with partner agencies, including a specialist NHS nurse for the street population, drug and alcohol support services, charity outreach workers, and the Southwark Council Street Population lead. Individuals involved in criminality or persistent anti-social behaviour are dealt with robustly and in line with relevant legislation.