Merton's Safer Streets Neighbourhood Wardens are making a significant impact on early intervention for drug and alcohol issues, with referrals for treatment spiking from 4 to 39 in a single month. This was revealed in a report presented at the Merton Council Overview and Scrutiny Commission meeting on Wednesday 26 November 2025.
Beyond the number of referrals and community engagements, the success of the wardens is measured by increased feelings of safety, particularly around Mitcham bandstand, Upper Green and St Mark's car park. Safe interventions, such as supporting intoxicated individuals to hospital and de-escalating conflicts outside licensed premises, are also key indicators. Furthermore, enforcement actions, including Community Protection Warning Notices and Fixed Penalty Notices, along with intelligence-sharing with Police Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNTs) leading to closure orders and prosecutions, contribute to the overall assessment.
The Safer Streets Neighbourhood Wardens team, launched in July 2025, aims to provide a visible and reassuring presence across all 20 wards in Merton. The wardens work to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB), support police, and collaborate with the council's ASB Team for early intervention and consistent enforcement.
According to the ASB OSC Report - Nov2025, the wardens have engaged extensively with the community. Since their launch, they have:
- Delivered over 2346 community engagements
- Completed more than 1200 patrol hours
- Undertaken 45+ joint patrols with police and partners
- Carried out 158 Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPO) interventions
- Taken 18 formal enforcement actions
The report also highlighted several examples of positive community impact, including:
- Reducing ASB in Wimbledon High Street
- Disrupting a drug deal in Wandle Meadows
- Joint response to a knife threat in Mitcham town centre
- Supporting rough sleepers to access temporary accommodation
- Engaging young people in a roller skating project at Mitcham bandstand
- Addressing flyposting and shopfront clean-up in Mitcham
- Providing first aid to intoxicated individuals
The ASB OSC Report - Nov2025 recommends that the Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Commission notes the progress and effectiveness of the Safer Streets Neighbourhood Wardens Team and recognises the strong joint working between the wardens, the ASB Team and the police. Future priorities for the wardens include maintaining a focus on joint operations, expanding night-time patrol coverage, developing hotspot operations, and strengthening community feedback mechanisms.
The meeting information also outlines key learning and future priorities for the Safer Streets Neighbourhood Wardens program, including expanding night-time patrol coverage to support the Night-Time Safety Charter and Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy. Strengthening community feedback mechanisms will also be a focus to track public confidence.
