Met launches dedicated Southwark Town Centre Team

People in Southwark will see more police officers on the streets as part of the Met’s focus on prioritising neighbourhood policing across London.

A dedicated Town Centre Team made up of 16 officers is now patrolling Elephant & Castle and the area around Walworth Road.

The launch is part of the Met’s continued commitment to drive down neighbourhood crime and precisely target the most harmful criminals by increasing the presence of local officers.

The team is targeting the issues residents and businesses say affect them most including phone snatching, violence against women and girls, neighbourhood crime and anti-social behaviour.

Inspector Samantha Honeyball, leading the Met’s new Southwark Town Centre Team, said:

“Elephant & Castle and Walworth Road are some of the busiest parts of Southwark, and people deserve to feel safe whether they’re working, shopping or enjoying a night out.

“Because we’re dedicated to this patch, we’re able to respond quickly, build strong relationships with local businesses, and take meaningful action against the offenders causing the most harm.

“We’re proud of the early results and even more determined to keep driving down crime and antisocial behaviour in the months ahead.”

The Town Centre Team has already made progress, particularly in the night‑time economy areas around Elephant & Castle. Officers have built close working relationships with bars, clubs and venue managers, helping them strengthen safety measures and providing a more visible presence after dark.

The team leads Operation Vigilant deployments at least once a month to identify predatory behaviour and safeguard vulnerable people. During one recent deployment, officers arrested a domestic violence suspect inside a local bar. The offender was identified and detained thanks to the team’s proximity and their familiarity with the area. Staff at the venue have since personally thanked the team for their swift response and for being consistently present when needed most.

Officers are also targeting persistent anti-social behaviour offenders and supporting vulnerable people in partnership with council wardens and specialist support services. The most recent deployment on Wednesday, 14 January saw enforcement action taken against persistent offenders and resulted in four arrests and two people being issued with Community Protection Notices. Officers also helped safeguard vulnerable members of the community through referrals to support services.

Cllr Natasha Ennin, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Neighbourhoods, added:

“Neighbourhood policing makes a real difference to how safe people feel locally. The new North Walworth Town Centre Team builds on the neighbourhood teams recently introduced in Peckham and reflects a shared commitment to focus resources where residents and businesses need them most.

“We’re working closely with the police to tackle the issues that matter to our communities from anti-social behaviour and phone snatching to violence against women and girls. By combining strong neighbourhood policing with our own council wardens and community safety work, we’re helping to create town centres where people can feel safe, confident and supported.”

Read more about how the Met is prioritising community crime-fighting as part of A New Met for London: Phase 2 here.

You can also sign-up to receive updates directly from local officers using Met Engage. Hear about local incidents, events and crime prevention advice.

Photo caption: from left to right Sergeant David Gunn, Central South BCU Commander Emma Bond, Cllr Natasha Ennin, Inspector Samantha Honeyball, Acting Sergeant Daisy Setyabule and Abbie Box from the Southwark Antisocial Behaviour Unit Manager.