From April 5 visitors to an Eltham Co-op are finding more than groceries in the aisles.
The new venture, the first of its kind for the Co-op, will see a Safer Neighbourhoods team working from an office at the rear of the Westhorne Avenue, SE9 branch. The Middle Park and Sutcliff team will initially occupy the office. The six officers will have storage, plus a garage for their motor and bicycles. In May a team will join them from Eltham West.
What they say
Supt Carol Grigg of Greenwich Borough Police said: "Safer neighbourhood teams are a response to what has traditionally been seen as low level crime such as criminal damage, graffiti, disorder and damage to vehicles. This sort of crime has a damaging effect on quality of life for residents and businesses in an area. The store is situated in a parade of well-used local shops. It is in the middle of two large residential estates and it will provide a greater reassurance for the whole locality to see officers on the streets at all times of day whether on patrol or as they go to and fro to their office."
The new team is the fifth out of eight Safer Neighbourhood teams to be developed in partnership with Greenwich Council and other agencies throughout Greenwich borough. The Eltham office has received specific support from the South Greenwich Regeneration Agency.
Supt Grigg said that crime has gone down generally in areas where the teams have been introduced: "In the initial stages, we are not surprised to find that reports of crime have gone up, especially for assault. This is because of the greater accessibility of officers. People will come up and tell them what’s going on and are more confident about getting a response. Overall, we are building up a significant increase in local intelligence and addressing the issues of greatest concern to the community.”
