Sarah Olney, MP in her last weekly report of the year, commented on a meeting she had recently with the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Sir Mark Rowley.

He told her that 2025 was due to see the lowest number of homicides in the capital since records began, while violence against women and girls (VAWG) has fallen significantly. Given that we have had no homicides in East Sheen in at least the last five years, and no VAWG offences reported to the East Sheen Police Liaison Group in the last three years. The fact that fewer Londoners have lost their lives to homicide is a reason to be thankful, especially as media reporting on knife crime might suggest otherwise. But it is hardly a major achievement for Richmond Park.

It does suggest that to Rowley the additional demands on local policing from the abolition of the Royal Parks Police are not important. For the welfare of local residents it would be useful to be told more about the incidence of low level crime like shoplifting, vehicle theft, bank card theft, and the relatively new offence of stealing delivered goods from doorsteps. And what steps are being taken to curb these activities.