Sutton is the second safest borough after Kingston in Surrey/London Boroughs. Crime has reduced in Sutton remarkably over the last year by 13.4%. Sutton now has more police officers, police community support officers (PCSOs), park police and transport PCSOs making the community and borough safer.

The police services are one of the main reasons crime has gone down and safety in the area has gone up. The police services do a lot for young children and teenagers to help them understand safety, for example they have youth panels, which are days out like bowling so they are keeping children off the streets, they have school talks talking to all the children in assemblies, they also have a IMEI which is registering their phone to the police, so if it was ever stolen the police will help as much as they can to find it as they have registered in a chip. More CCTV has been put up in strategic places, especially around public areas to help make residents feel safe too. A regular police presence is at hand where you walk and see people all the time; communicating making people feel safer in homes and anywhere in general.

PCSO Christine Maguire quoted “I love my job helping people all the time from all ages and you feel good knowing that you're helping someone especially children, as we as adults need to set examples for them. Discipline for children seems to be a problem, I’m not saying all children need discipline because I know not all children have bad behaviour, and I think some people stereotype children saying that all young children are the same but they are not, and I know some of them get a hard time. Parents are the main involvement”

It is important adults set good examples for children, so parents need to make sure they teach children good behaviour and safety from a young age. It is also important that adults become good role models for children.

Top five tips for children to keep safe: 1. If you have valuable equipment (phones, iPods...) don’t take them out in public because you are making yourself a target, use them in a safe environment.

2. If travelling on a bus it is safer to travel with a friend or in a group and for further safety sit on the bottom deck where people can see you where the driver is and close to the exit door.

3. If certain people make you feel uncomfortable whilst in public make sure you contact your parents or someone in authority immediately.

4. Always let your parents know where you are going and what time you are coming home.

5. In general keep yourself safe on roads at home and always speak up if something is wrong.

A citizen and parent Anita Isaacs quoted “I feel safe in my area but every parent has their worries but I teach my children the right way to be safe especially now my son walks to school on his own I make sure we have good communication with each other which I think all parents should have. Keeping your loved one safe is important for everyone”

Safety is important to all of us but keeping Sutton safe is the responsibility of all residents. Even learning the basics of road safety stop, look, listen will help you on your journey and always tell someone if you are in distress. There is always someone there to help. If people start now it will help the next generation.

Kiera Maguire, Year 8, Glenthorne High School