Is there a plan to tackle crime in the area?

[kapaxiana]

I woke up to find the window of my car smashed and the radio taken. Nothing fancy, we drive a 12 year old car. Doesn't seem that whoever did this was in a hurry, every compartment was opened, they went through every piece of paper, opened the boot and searched inside 3 bags I had in there. I stood there, baby is arms. not sure of what to do!

There have been many other incidents in my road recently, a lot of stuff has been taken, motorbikes, cars, bicycles and I have seen at least 2 other cars that were broken into...

It is obviously the same group/person coming back, and might I say whoever it is is pretty confident because it keeps coming back with a matter of weeks.... Surely there must be a way to stop these people from stealing and destroying property of hard working citizens ..I am so annoyed!!!

[ladywotlunches]

So sorry to here about you experience. The annoyance factor, like you say, is almost the worst thing about it. The hassle of trying to sort it out especially when you are on your way somewhere ( and if you're like me, in a hurry!).

Don't know what to suggest in terms of tackling crime - other than definitely report it to the police. At the least you'll get a few more bobbies down the road temporarily as they are told to keep an eye. cCTV is also an option and not too expensive and mat deter the opportunists.

Hope you're weekend has gone better since!

[Damian H]

I am afraid that by the general opinion of this forum, there is nothing to be done.

When security guards tackle criminals we are told it is not their job and they should just watch it happen and leave it to the police.

When a neighbourhood watch type scheme is suggested it is decried as carrying the risk that someone might actually break a nail or risk offending someone so it can't beencouraged.

Result - we all sit and complain and put up with it.

[sillywoman]

ladywotlunches Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> So sorry to here about you experience. The

> annoyance factor, like you say, is almost the

> worst thing about it. The hassle of trying to sort

> it out especially when you are on your way

> somewhere ( and if you're like me, in a hurry!).

>

> Don't know what to suggest in terms of tackling

> crime - other than definitely report it to the

> police. At the least you'll get a few more bobbies

> down the road temporarily as they are told to keep

> an eye. cCTV is also an option and not too

> expensive and mat deter the opportunists.

>

> Hope you're weekend has gone better since!

Whilst I also hope that the rest of kapaxiana's weekend has been better I would have to disagree with your comment about the police ladywotlunches.

Having been on the receiving end of this kind of crime three times this year. Having had a motorbike (locked), a pushbike (behind a high locked gate) and a car (locked) all stolen from in front of our house this year I would have to say the response from the police has been completely underwhelming. In fact Mr S & I are agreed that if it wasn't necessary for the (pitiful) insurance claim we now wouldn't bother notifying them. We've lived here very happily for the last 16 years and never encountered anything like the level of crime we've been subject to in the last 10 months. Speaking to local friends and acquaintances our feelings of alarm & distress at the marked increase in thefts and burglaries in East Dulwich isn't unusual, and the feeling that the police are way behind the curve on what's happening here isn't limited to just us either. I'm not sure what's going on (more affluent people moving in making our area a target maybe?) but I would agree that there's a professional gang - or maybe a few - operating in the area. Certainly our robberies seemed to be professional jobs. I didn't get any impression from the responses to our burglaries/robberies that the police have any sense of this, or any sense of urgency in dealing with it if they are aware. I haven't noticed any increase in "bobbies down the road" temporarily or otherwise.

[Damian H]

With the police cuts coming in I think the likelihood of seeing more bobbies on the beat is somewhere round zero. Think I mentioned elsewhere on here a police acquaintance of mine who works in the despatch centre taking 999 calls. He had to sit and listen to a woman being beaten by her partner for AN HOUR before he could find a unit that could respond. I have known a couple of other assaults where 99 calls have been made and it's just been a complete no-show from the boys in blue.

Bottom line is a 999 call to the police is a lottery these days. You might get two or three cars within minutes or you might be waiting hours.

The response on this forum to date to any suggestion of proactivity by the community has been a display of lamentable lily-liverishness from an H&S conference.

[Alan Medic]

Have you suggested something elsewhere Damian? I'd be interested to read it.

[Penguin68]

With the police cuts coming in I think the likelihood of seeing more bobbies on the beat is somewhere round zero

According to senior police themselves, of the established force approximately 10% are on the streets at any one time - assuming 3 even 8 hour shifts that still means that for each policeman on the streets 2 are in police stations/ not available for street duties.

It is estimated that a better allocation of resources could substantially increase 'bobbies on the beat' even where overall numbers employed fell.

The police themselves have chosen to move away from street policing - they are focused less now on prevention (which is what street policing is mainly about) and more on addressing specific issues - including for instance visiting absent fathers not paying sufficient maintenance to 'educate' them about their responsibilities. You may feel this is a better use of their time than simply 'being visible' on your residential streets. Or you may not (if you are a poor single mum your views might be different than those of an established suburban householder).

[DaveR]

The reason everybody should report every proper crime (theft, burglary, robbery etc.) to the police is that it enables them to prioritise and target their actions based on reliable intelligence. The police monitor crime patterns in their local areas quite carefully because (believe it or not) they do want to get out there and catch crooks.

Reporting thefts, with proper descriptions of the stolen goods, also enables the detection of crimes long after the event.

So, rather than complaining, you should report crime to the police. You may not see the immediate benefit in terms of 'your' crime being solved, but we are all better off in the long run.

[Damian H]

DaveR Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The reason everybody should report every proper

> crime (theft, burglary, robbery etc.) to the

> police is that it enables them to prioritise and

> target their actions based on reliable

> intelligence. The police monitor crime patterns

> in their local areas quite carefully because

> (believe it or not) they do want to get out there

> and catch crooks.

>

> Reporting thefts, with proper descriptions of the

> stolen goods, also enables the detection of crimes

> long after the event.

>

> So, rather than complaining, you should report

> crime to the police. You may not see the immediate

> benefit in terms of 'your' crime being solved, but

> we are all better off in the long run.

Just because people are complaining doesnt mean they aren't reporting crimes as well - merely that they are disenchanted about the possibility of it leading to any change.

[dully]

Dulwich is now in the top ten areas for crime in london. I found a really good way to avoid the car, bike, pot plant theift, the break ins, the muggings, the scammers, the pub prices was just to leave dulwich.

[ssunshine]

Dully - Do you have a link you can send me please? Thanks

[Jeremy]

dully Wrote:

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> Dulwich is now in the top ten areas for crime in london.

Sounds highly unlikely to me, what is the source of this information?

As for plans to tackle crime; increase your home security by installing alarms and good locks. Mark your property. Be vigilant when walking around. Stick to busy, well-lit streets at night. Don't walk around talking on an expensive mobile phone. Don't leave bags and valuables in your car.

[James Barber]

At full Council Assembly on Wednesday the absolute crime rates for each ward were reported. It showed East Dulwich ward had the lowest number of REPORTED crimes in Southwark. The lowest number was 873 from memory, about 3 per day with bulk being relatively low level crime. This is one of reasons we no longer have a dedicated Police sergeant but share one with Village ward.

If you analyse crime per population we're around the lowest/second lowest rate of crimes in Southwark and best quartile in London as a whole and best 5% for inner London.

But every crime has victims and often life altering in some way.

One of the most hidden and serious categories of crime in East Dulwich is domestic violence fuelled by alcohol. We have 50 licences premises along the 1000metres of Lordship Lane that host businesses. To me that seems saturated and I will seek to have saturation policies regarding licensed premises brought to East Dulwich to help avoid such crime getting worse.

What do you think could help reduce crime locally.

[peterstorm1985]

I think you have mentioned a very important aspect of the statistics James, that ED has the lowest 'reported' level of crimes.

Every crime should be reported. Anyone who doesn't report a crime may inadvertently add to the problem as 'nipping it in the bud' is a useful tool in crime prevention that is denied to the police if the problem is allowed to escalate.

I suspect that there may be some high earners who are concerned that reporting a theft may cause them to lose as much money in terms of time as the stolen item itself.

Perhaps a reminder of the easy ways to report crime would be helpful.

RE domestic violence fuelled by alcohol - I'd be very interested to know if there is any clear time related aspect to the problem. Does the violence tend to occur late evening/night, or at any time during the day? If late at night then there may be a link to the late opening premises which would justify a limitation in licences. If not, then it's difficult to see the link. Has anyone asked the victims if they know where the perpetrators obtained their alcohol?

[sillywoman]

We've reported every theft we've had this year (and we've had several big ones now) I'm afraid the police response has been completely underwhelming, verging on the unhelpful. Sadly our experience of crime and the response to it this year has left Mr S & I feeling very skeptical about how much the police actually do to follow up any crime that doesn't involve guns or knives in our borough.

[spongebob]

The police are basically useless and the thieving scum bags know it!

[gerry]

James, Do we actually know that domestic violence is on the rise? Usually, DV rises when the economy is in decline, i.e. job loss, depression, financial concerns, poor family relationships, etc, then fuelled by alcohol creates an explosive situation. The children especially suffer from DV and this needs to be reported. There is an organisation which I would like to suggest here for male and female victims of domestic violence called Respect. Their website is:

www.respect.uk.net/. Please don't suffer in silence...there is help available. For the children, there is Childline on 0800-1111. Any child can ring them and all information is kept confidential. Children do not have to give their names.

[Penguin68]

I am not sure I understand James' post about booze fuelled domestic violence. What does he mean by 'hidden' - does he mean 'unreported' -in which case how does he know? What are the domestic violence figures for ED - how much of this can be traced to attendance at licensed premises? Most of the licensed premises (though not all) in Lordship lane are restaurants - many of the others cater to a young clientele - people not yet sufficiently in a domestic situation to tend towards domestic violence.

Reducing licensed trade in Lordship Lane will have a strong tendency to take money out of the area - as people go elsewhere to dine or party. Good call, James, let's turn LL into another suburban wasteland.

[snowy]

Penguin68 Wrote:

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> Most of the licensed premises (though not all) in Lordship

> lane are restaurants - many of the others cater to

> a young clientele - people not yet sufficiently in

> a domestic situation to tend towards domestic

> violence.

A domestic situation? DV isn't based on bricks and mortar and a mortgage.

[Penguin68]

A domestic situation? DV isn't based on bricks and mortar and a mortgage

But you are likely not to be (a) living on your own or (b) living in a shared flat with other twenty-somethings. If you don't have somewhere to exercise 'domestic violence' then it becomes a street affray etc. 'Domestic Violence' suggests violence between people in some form of long-term relationship (i.e. a domestic relationship, from domus a home)

[snowy]

I don't really want to divert this thread too far, but this might be some interesting reading:

"Domestic violence is often conceptualised as an ?adult? issue, something that happens between adults who are in, or have been, in an intimate relationship and research has tended to focus more on these relationships. In actual fact, adolescents experience similar levels of domestic violence as adults.

It is also clear that domestic violence is still somewhat of a ?hidden? issue in our society; however, it is even more so for teenagers." From:

http://www.avaproject.org.uk/media/54353/policy%20briefing%20on%20teenage%20relationship%20abuse.doc but there are other Southwark specific DV surveys.