THE Met Police have launched a four-week advertising campaign to convince people that its local community policing teams are successful at tackling crime.

The campaign, with the slogan Walking is Working, will run until February 14.

It features posters on high streets and bus shelters, adverisements on several London radio stations and two vans, displaying animations of the advertisements, travelling around the capital.

The campaign aims to convince people that Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNT), which were set up in 2004, have been a success.

Every council ward in Waltham Forest, and across London, has an SNT, made up of a sergeant, two constables and three Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs).

Police say the teams enable greater accessibility to officers and provide visible and familar faces to residents.

Assistant Commissioner Ian McPherson, of territorial Policing said; "SNTs are working, that is what the communities tell us, and we remain committed to focusing on those issues that are at the heart of these communities.

"We will continue to gather intelligence, inform and respond to information that the local communities pass on to us."And to keep developing on the partnerships we have built to resolve issues that matter to Londoners."

The most recent crime statistics show there were 27,289 recorded crimes in Waltham Forest in the 12 months to November last year, a rise of 5.9 per cent on the previous year.

What do you think? Have SNTs been a success? Leave a comment below.

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