With regard to the fact that crime is now completely out of control in Merton, and our business community is facing millions of pounds in resultant lost investment, I am writing to demand that the invisible Tory MP for Wimbledon, Stephen Hammond, along with the Tory Assembly Member for Merton, Richard Tracey, resign with immediate effect.
They are directly responsible for the insane police cuts that have brought about this nightmare. Also, they no longer enjoy the trust of our business community, whom they have betrayed. I do not believe they enjoy the support of the vast majority of their own local Tory Party members. None of whom appear to support this disgusting policy. Neither politician enjoys the support of the local electorate. Therefore what possible moral justification can they have for remaining in office?
We have lost almost half our PCSOs in Merton. The level of unsolved crimes has risen by 78%. The workload of the remaining officers has effectively tripled and meanwhile police salaries have remained frozen for the last four years. Violent knife crime, once eliminated from Merton, is back in the heart of our business community. We have already had two murders. One a brave young police officer. One murder actually took place in a betting shop next to an EMPTY police station. Why was it empty? Because we don't have enough officers to run it. Becky Middleton, a very good friend to the people of our community, a fine and responsible journalist who has never once showed any sort of political bias in any article she has ever written; recently produced a first-rate report on the present nightmare situation concerning Ravensbury Park (it can be found in its original uncut entirety in this newspaper's fine website edition). If you disagree with one word I have just said then please read that article. In Colliers Wood we have just had two rapes in the space of one month. The most recent was a fourteen year-old girl. One attack took place close to our Singlegate school.
Therefore, in response to this policing crisis, our Labour MP for Morden and Mitchem, Siobhain McDonagh, has invited the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Bernard Hogan Howe, to attend an emergency public meeting to take place at 10 am on Saturday 2nd August, in St Mark's Church, on St Mark's Road, Mitcham. Also present will be local police officers, our local councillors and also our fine council leader, Stephen Alambritis. Obviously in a situation like this we, as a strong community, need to show our support to Sir Bernard, who is a very fine officer with a tremendously important and difficult job to do. But we also need to work out a community strategy, with our local police and councillors, to attempt to resolve this crisis before any more lives are lost. In regard to which I know Siobhain and Stephen have some serious proposals to make.
Until the Tories imposed these police cuts, Merton was the third safest borough in London. It can be again if we work together as a community.
Michael Barltrop
- Send your letters to: letters@wimbledonguardian.co.uk
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel