As our new performance year starts, it does so with renewed vigour and focus on the crimes that are affecting our communities the most.

Operation Atlas is due to start and is a co-ordinated and focused approach to deal with robberies and burglaries.

We will be utilising our Safer Neighbourhoods Teams, Safer Transport Teams, our CID and our borough Task Force to provide targeting of hotspots and the individuals involved in these crimes.

So if you see more police on the streets in the upcoming weeks, please be reassured that this is a preventative measure only to tackle existing issues, not an indication of any increased risk.

There have been four artifice burglaries from March 29 to April 3.

Two of these offences have occurred in Mitcham and two in the Wimbledon/Morden area.

A group of white men are knocking on elderly female victim’s doors and are posing as water board, gas board or police officers.

Once inside an address they keep the occupier busy whilst an accomplice will look around the house for items to steal.

LOCK, STOP, CHAIN and CHECK

When someone calls at your door and offers to do repairs to your home, ask for urgent help, or claims to be a company representative, follow these simple steps to help protect yourself and your home from bogus callers.

LOCK: Keep your front and back doors locked, even when at home.

STOP: Before you answer, stop to think if you are expecting anyone. Check that your back door is locked and any keys are taken out. Look through the spy hole or the window to see who it is.

CHAIN: If answering the door, keep the bar or chain on while you are talking to the person on the doorstep (when the door is shut and locked, leave the bar or chain off in case of an emergency).

Some bogus callers target older and vulnerable people saying they need help urgently. They may ask you to help them outside the house or ask to use a phone or request a drink. Only offer to help if you have someone with you. Don't worry if you choose not to help it is not rude or unfriendly.

CHECK: If someone who looks official calls at your door, always ask for and carefully check their identity card, even if they have an appointment. Do they look like the person on the card? Do their details match any prior correspondence? Close the door while you do this.

If you are not expecting them and they don't show you an identity card, do not let them in until you have double-checked their validity.

Please always report any suspicious activity to Police.

Detective Chief Superintendent Darren Williams is the borough commander for Merton Police. He joined in January 2012 and wants Wimbledon Guardian readers to contact him with ideas on how to improving policing in our borough.

To put forward a suggestion or a question, email: newsdesk@wimbledonguardian.co.uk and put "Merton police" in the subject line.

Click here for more messages from the borough commander.