Cops warn residents in Wandsworth of risk of street robbery

Police in Wandsworth have been encouraging young people and parents to stay aware, and take steps to prevent street robbery as part of their efforts to crack down on robbery in the borough.

Officers from Neighbourhood teams, Schools, Youth teams as well as Robbery and Violence Suppression teams have been working together on preventing the theft of valuable property like mobile phones, headphones and cash.

Wandsworth Neighbourhood Inspector Jonathan Lloyd said “Violence is never acceptable, and tackling it is our highest priority. We are carrying out a range of activity to reduce violence, including a concerted campaign to tackle robbery of school children, and target offenders.”

“If you are a parent, I’d ask you speak to your children about how to prevent becoming a victim of robbery. If threatened with violence, don’t risk your personal safety. Property can be replaced, you can’t.”

Some advice to help prevent becoming the victim of robbery:

• When travelling, pay attention to your surroundings and be aware of what is happening around you.
• Stick to busy areas and stay with your friends where possible.
• Try to avoid shortcuts such as parks, especially late at night.
• Using headphones and mobile phones distracts from your surroundings, so please remember to look up and look out from personal electronic devices and pay attention to those around you.
• Keep your wireless headphones and mobile phones out of sight – these are the items that are most commonly stolen.
• If you are challenged, remember that your safety is more important than your belongings.

Call 999 as soon as possible if you are unfortunate enough to become a victim.

If you would rather not speak to the police, you can also contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, or their dedicated service for young people at Fearless.org.

Both are independent from police, and you can give information anonymously.