Balham

Welcome to Met Engage,

We're transforming the Met to become a service that truly delivers for you.

Through our new platform Met Engage you can get to know your local officers, help shape how we police your local area and have direct access to key information and advice.

This isn't just a platform for us to tell you what we're doing in your area, it's an opportunity for you to tell us what's concerning you most so we can take action on the things that truly matter to you.

Balham Safer Neighbourhoods Team

Your Safer Neighbourhoods Team is a group of Met police officers dedicated to serving your community. The team is made up of officers based in your area or 'ward', supported by additional officers from the wider area.

We work closely with local authorities, community leaders and residents to decide our policing priorities for the area. This helps us to find useful, long-term solutions to local problems, while maintaining our wider focus on reducing crime across London.

To contact to your team about local policing issues, email us at Balham@contact.metengage.co.uk or pick an officer to email below. (Please do not use this contact method to report crime, in an emergency always call 999 or you can report crime online at www.met.police.uk or dial 101).

Samuel Gayler

Police Constable

Ben Jury

Inspector

M. J. Khan

PCSO

Hope Oyet

Police Constable

Julia Robak

Police Constable

Maggie Swalwell

Sergeant

Local Priority Issues

We are committed to tackling the issues that matter most to local communities. Based on our conversations with residents, and the issues they have raised with us, our main priorities are:

Priority	Action taken
Priority 1 – Robbery There has been an increase in the number robbery targeting children attending Chestnut Grove Academy, the main areas are around Boundaries Road, Wandsworth Common Rail Station and Balham Tube Balham High Road. Issued 23 September 2025	As part of the neighbourhood guarantee and summer crime plan, Balham Designated Ward Officers (DWO) and Designated Ward Officer – Child and Young Person (DWO-CYP) will deliver personal safety talk with students and parents, officers are to have engagement events with community safety officer in area whilst engaging and listening to the community concerns whilst providing crime prevention advice. Increase high visibility and plain clothes in the areas around Boundary Road, Wandsworth Common Rail Station and Balham Tube to deter and detect with the aim of preventing offences and keeping the public safe. Actioned 22 December 2025
Priority 2 – Drugs and associated Anti-Social Behaviour Tackling the use of drugs within Balham and in particular Gaskarth Rd, Lochinvar Est, Ransden Rd, Hanson Close as well as the affects of anti-social behaviour derived from drug taking. DWO’s will also look to reduce aggressive begging and rough sleepers in and around Balham. Issued 23 September 2025	Working in partnership with homeless charity SPEAR and partners to reduce and support the rough sleeper in Balham, in line with the summer crime plan and neighbourhood guarantee, Officers are to provide High Visibility patrols to these locations Anti-Social Behaviour to be identified and deterred. Utilising Anti-Social Behaviour legislation to issue ASB warnings, Community Protection warnings and Community Protection Notices where appropriate utilising High visibility and plain clothes patrols to target specific areas. Officers will also utilise intelligence led policing to identify locations associated with drug taking and where appropriate use stop and search legislation where grounds exist Actioned 21 December 2025
Priority 3 – Theft from Motor Vehicle & Theft of Motor Vehicle Theft from/Of Motor Vehicle will be targeted particularly around Fernside Rd, Calburne Rd, Mayford Rd, and immediate vicinity where there has been a sustained increase in these offences. Issued 23 September 2025	Through intelligence led policing officers will identify locations for patrols and potential offenders as part of the summer crime plan. Promoting of crime prevention through social media, leaflet drops and engagement with owners of vehicles who have been identified at the highest risk, particularly in the Fernside Rd, Calburne Rd, Mayford Rd and immediate vicinity. Variable shift changes to target emerging trends and targeting offenders by providing high visibility and plain clothes patrols. Actioned 22 December 2025

Priority

Action taken

Priority 1 – Robbery
There has been an increase in the number robbery targeting children attending Chestnut Grove Academy, the main areas are around Boundaries Road, Wandsworth Common Rail Station and Balham Tube Balham High Road.

Issued 23 September 2025

As part of the neighbourhood guarantee and summer crime plan, Balham Designated Ward Officers (DWO) and Designated Ward Officer – Child and Young Person (DWO-CYP) will deliver personal safety talk with students and parents, officers are to have engagement events with community safety officer in area whilst engaging and listening to the community concerns whilst providing crime prevention advice.
Increase high visibility and plain clothes in the areas around Boundary Road, Wandsworth Common Rail Station and Balham Tube to deter and detect with the aim of preventing offences and keeping the public safe.

Actioned 22 December 2025

Priority 2 – Drugs and associated Anti-Social Behaviour
Tackling the use of drugs within Balham and in particular Gaskarth Rd, Lochinvar Est, Ransden Rd, Hanson Close as well as the affects of anti-social behaviour derived from drug taking. DWO’s will also look to reduce aggressive begging and rough sleepers in and around Balham.

Issued 23 September 2025

Working in partnership with homeless charity SPEAR and partners to reduce and support the rough sleeper in Balham, in line with the summer crime plan and neighbourhood guarantee, Officers are to provide High Visibility patrols to these locations Anti-Social Behaviour to be identified and deterred. Utilising Anti-Social Behaviour legislation to issue ASB warnings, Community Protection warnings and Community Protection Notices where appropriate utilising High visibility and plain clothes patrols to target specific areas. Officers will also utilise intelligence led policing to identify locations associated with drug taking and where appropriate use stop and search legislation where grounds exist

Actioned 21 December 2025

Priority 3 – Theft from Motor Vehicle & Theft of Motor Vehicle
Theft from/Of Motor Vehicle will be targeted particularly around Fernside Rd, Calburne Rd, Mayford Rd, and immediate vicinity where there has been a sustained increase in these offences.

Issued 23 September 2025

Through intelligence led policing officers will identify locations for patrols and potential offenders as part of the summer crime plan. Promoting of crime prevention through social media, leaflet drops and engagement with owners of vehicles who have been identified at the highest risk, particularly in the Fernside Rd, Calburne Rd, Mayford Rd and immediate vicinity. Variable shift changes to target emerging trends and targeting offenders by providing high visibility and plain clothes patrols.

Actioned 22 December 2025

The word cloud below represents the issues raised by residents through their Local Matters survey. We take this into consideration along with discussions with stakeholders, ward panel meetings and conversations with the public when setting our key priorities

What members in Balham are saying are the issues in the area:

Agree or not? Have your say now, click here to do the survey