Tackling school robbery

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strategies to clamp down on robbers who target young pupils.....

The beginning of a new school year has Wandsworth police putting into practice their strategies to clamp down on the robbers who target young pupils and youths in the borough.

Police are working with local schools, the council and the borough’s Youth Offending Team to identify the hot spots of youth on youth robberies and encourage the victims to come forward with their allegations so police and the schools can investigate and take action.

A proactive operation this week led by Detective Inspector John McFarlane of the Wandsworth Priority Crime Team resulted in the arrest of 18 young persons in connection with a series of offences against pupils from Wandsworth schools.

Prevention and detection is a major thrust of this branch of the Safer Streets operation which has been running across the Met since May 2006. Wandsworth’s Borough Intelligence Unit (BIU) has identified a list of potential suspects for this form of robbery and with the help of our partner agencies, we will be paying close attention to their activities and will always aim to prosecute.

Our response teams, safer neighbourhood teams and surveillance units will be deployed outside schools and the routes to the transport links which pupils use. The strong visible presence will be there to prevent pupils being robbed on their way home and tackle any groups of youths who are loitering in the vicinity of the schools.

Detective Inspector Kevin Clingham, who is a leading officer in the operation, said:

“This is a full-scale operation to prevent the new school year beginning with a spate of youth on youth robberies and we plan to keep up this level of proactive policing through the term to bring this crime out into the open and seek to arrest and charge those responsible.  Our school officers and safer neighbourhood teams work closely with school staff and together they have informed pupils that having the courage to report you were a victim of crime plays an essential part in tackling the problem.

“Providing professional care and guidance for our young victims and witnesses is key to our strategy, as they can talk them through the procedure of what happens when you report a crime to the police and a step-by-step guide of the court process.”

Police crime prevention advice includes:
• Do not take the latest technological gadgets to school;
• If you do, do not show off the fact you have them.
• Use a UV pen to mark your property.
• Try to travel in groups on your way to and from school.
• Tell your school or the police if you or someone you know has been the victim of crime.

Mobile phones are a major attraction for robbers and it is important you keep a record of you International Mobile Equipment Identity number (IMEI).

The IMEI number uniquely identifies handsets and increases the chances of identifying the owner. The information compiled by our officers is sent to the National Mobile Phone Crime Unit who gather, develop and disseminate intelligence on groups and individuals that steal, handle, reprogram and export stolen mobile phones.

There are two ways of learning your IMEI number. You can do it electronically by entering *#06# or take the back off your phone and read the IMEI number from the adhesive label stuck to the inside of the phone.

www.immobilise.com is a service supported by the MPS, which allows people to register mobile phones, Sat-nav systems, car radios, cameras, PCs & laptops, I-Pods, power tools, bikes and other valuable items.
Note to editors

September 7, 2006