Harrow has seen falls in both violence and property crime. However we have seen a recent rise in street robbery. The main factors for this year’s increase are a rise in the theft of high-value smart phones and digital media players. Thefts of gold jewellery, where chains and necklaces are being stolen for sale on the second-hand gold market have also risen. We work closely with the second-hand gold industry looking at preventing thieves making financial gain from this crime.

To coincide with the start of the new academic year we will be supporting schoolchildren, especially year seven pupils who are starting secondary school, to advise them on how to keep safe. As 11 year olds start their new schools they are often making longer journeys or have new phones. Historically we have seen an increase in young people (11-16) having mobile phones stolen after leaving school.

From today (5 September) until half-term (21 October) police officers and community support officers (PCSOs) will be deployed each day specifically to protect young people as they make their way home from school or colleges in Harrow. They will provide a visible presence outside schools, in and around transport hubs and even on buses to reassure young people, give them tips on how to keep safe, and letting them know about SAFE: the Met’s youth website.

The Metropolitan Police Service has been working with the mobile phone industry to see how technology and software, such as tracking applications (apps) can help reduce street crime. Many of the latest smart phones can access apps which can help us trace them when lost or stolen. A number of suspects have been found in possession of stolen phones and tablets after police had found them owing to the owner activating tracking software and applications.

Please assist us by keeping a record of your phone’s IMEI number: its unique reference number.

To find out the IMEI number type in *#06# and it will display the 15-digit number, which can then be registered at www.immobilise.com.

For more information or advice on how to keep safe visit www.met.police.uk/crimeprevention.

I regret to say police time and public finances are still wasted by people making false robbery reports. We will continue to highlight those people wasting police time in this way: John Inwards, aged 29, of Hornbuckle Close, South Harrow called police on 23 August to say that he had been a victim of a robbery in Stanley Road, South Harrow in which his wallet containing his bank card had been stolen.

Police investigated and discovered that he had not reported his bank card as stolen and had withdrawn money from a cash machine nearby.

He later admitted that he had made up the story and was issued with an £80 fixed penalty notice for wasting police time.

In a separate incident Trevor Junior Kidd, aged 43 of Lorne Road, Wealdstone was also issued with an £80 fine for wasting police time after calling police, claiming that he had been robbed at knifepoint in Wealdstone High Street on Wednesday 17 August.

He later admitted that he had lied to police because he owed someone money which he had lost in the street.

We are detecting more street crime than ever and making robbery more difficult for the perpetrators. By taking proper precautions and ensuring your police officers can focus on real priority crime, you will enable us to make Harrow safer still for all its residents, business and visitors. Superintendent Neil Vyse Harrow Deputy Borough Commander

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