More police will be on duty in Woolwich town centre this summer as part of a City Hall crackdown on crime in the capital.

Woolwich town centre has been identified as one of 20 top-priority areas for dealing with antisocial behaviour, theft and street crime. Lewisham High Street and Catford will also get a more visible presence from the Metropolitan Police.

Taken together, the 20 areas account for almost 10 per cent of the capital’s knife crime, 24 per cent of theft-from-the-person offences and 6 per cent of calls about antisocial behaviour.

There will be increased police patrols and plain-clothed officers, while police will target the most prolific offenders, especially those wanted for shoplifting and antisocial behaviour.

A further 12 areas with crime issues – including Bexleyheath and Bromley town centres – will also be given more policing.

The initiative comes after Sir Mark Rowley, the Met commissioner, reported that knife crime had fallen in the first six weeks of the financial year by 18.1 per cent compared with the same period last year. Burglaries, theft from the person and personal robberies are also down. 

City Hall said that “While there have been significant reductions in some crime types since the start of the financial year and since 2016, it’s clear that more needs to be done to ensure everyone in the capital is safe and feels safe.”

Matt Jukes, the Met’s deputy commissioner, said: ““Our intelligence and data-led approach to tackle the crimes that matter most to Londoners – such as shoplifting, robbery and anti-social behaviour – is already working.

 “We’re arresting 1,000 more criminals each month, neighbourhood crime is down 19 per cent and we’ve solved 163 per cent more shoplifting cases this year.

“In 32 of the hardest hit areas, we’re working with the community, councils, businesses and partners, to focus our resources and bear down on prolific offenders and gangs who blight too many neighbourhoods across the capital.”

In April it was confirmed that the Met would be scrapping the dedicated unit which has policed Greenwich Park for 150 years. The 61 officers in the Royal Parks Operational Command Unit, who patrol Greenwich and other royal parks, will be reallocated to local police teams.

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