Muggers (My son was mugged on Dulwich common)

[SteveT]

jimmy two times what exactly is your beef?

You only want people to discuss the daisies, or offer day to day happenings?

[jimmy two times]

Read my post again and you may come to the sensible conclusion that I have simply made a point regarding what I perceive to be scaremongering on this discussion forum. It is an opinion sir, not a 'beef'.

[pommie]

Jimmy

Do you have kids yourself?

[TillieTrotter]

Jim, I don't want to sound like I'm having a go, but have you got kids old enough to go to the park on their own? If you have, why is it scaremongering? If you haven't can you not see it as abit of a pointer to remind our kids to be slightly cautious. I just feel like it's good community spirit, like telling your neighbour about something they should be aware of.

[macroban]

Useful information for the elderly too.

[eireman]

Loobyou,

Thank you for your message and I am glad that your boy is OK.

Being mugged is an awful experience and I am sure we all agree that its lasting effects can be considerably more than being deprived of a phone or cash.

Jim seems to suggest that the benefits of your post may be greater than the burden of fear that the post may create. This is a good point but if Jim considers reporting the mugging of a 14 year old as scaremongering, what crime would Jim consider serious enough to warrant such a post?

I think we have the right to decide for ourselves what precautions are sensible and that we also have a responsibility to act if we think our children are more likely to get mugged at the location mentioned, your post contributes to this process.

Limiting the potential profit to a mugger may help to deter muggings. A good way of doing so is to record your mobile phones IMEI (type *#06#). If mugged, the phone can be de-activated and becomes useless to the mugger if you use the web site here.

[loobylou]

Hi All

I have looked at all the posts,and thank you for your support. My son is OK and now uses a different route to come home. The police are in touch and we will talk to them again tomorrow. I put this on the site as a warning to other parents to alert their children to be extra careful, not to be scaremongering. I have rarely posted before, and will think twice before I do again due to the negative comments! (albeit from one person).

I had the IMEI number and alerted both the service provider and the police of this within a couple of hours, but that doesn't stop my son feeling a bit helpless, (and me worrying), or wondering whether it will happen again. And no, he doesn't flash the cash or the phone.

LL

[jimmy two times]

The Police have scaled down the use of yellow incident boards due to the fact that they created anxieties in the community and the perception that crime was on the rise. I see postings such as this in the same way. And yes, I have kids,and they are teenagers.

[Zaardvark]

Hi,

I don't think that posting items like this is scaremongering. It would seem better to have this discussion in a different thread than one such as this one, where it would seem to belittle or question the motives of the original poster.

In my initial (probably overly harsh) response to Jim I also note that a similar type of incident occurred very near the park at a bus stop in the morning.

This sort of incident was common on Ruskin park a few years ago but I noted that park wardens became more proactive and questioned pairs or groups of youths who appeared to hanging around entrances, etc. I don't know for certain how well it worked but I have not heard of any incidents there recently.

Best

Z

edited for speellling and cvlarityyty

[TillieTrotter]

Loobylou, please don't be put off from posting again. The majority of us see it as helpful information.

[James]

I second TT's post Loobylou

[jimmy two times]

I think any teenager who lives in inner London should acquire a certain amount of street savvy. That kind of street savvy will come from direct experience. It's not taught at school or by parents who may never have acquired it themselves. As tough a situation as this was for the boy who got his phone nicked, the fact remains that he walked away unscathed and will learn from the experience.

[lenk]

Why don't we just go back to putting the massive yellow 'incident' signs up?

Because that's what these threads are the online equivalent of.

They could put a hyperlink to the inevitable EDF thread as a footer on them for iPhone users.

[EmmaG]

Hi Louby Loo

How awful for your poor son and *thank you very much* for being neighbourly enough to warn others to be aware and possibly pick our kids up from school or organise adult supervision.

Hope he's OK and it doesn't prey on his mind. One of the kids at my school was approached in the same way (not here, in Surrey) and it's good advice to share with others that you should give up your phone if someone's prepared to stab you for it.

Thanks again for taking the time to warn other to be aware.

[jimmy two times]

Here is my advice for all teenagers who live in East Dulwich, and Surrey too.

1. If it's possible, avoid carrying valuables such as mobile phones, jewellery, MP3 players and cash as these are obvious targets for muggers.

2. If you are going to carry these things around with you then try not to make it obvious. Be careful about where you take your phone out to make calls. Try to cover Jewellery. Put cash, if it's notes, down your sock. Don't listen to your MP3 player after dark as you will be vulnerable and will not be able to hear anyone coming from behind.

3. If you see a group of lads approaching you or loitering simply cross the road or take a diversion.

4. If you can't do this then try to look confident as you approach them. Don't look them in the eye, but don't look down at the ground either. Be aware and try not to look like a victim.

5. If you are approached by them and asked to hand over your goods then do so, without resistance. Any of these items can be replaced. You life can't.

6. If, after handing over your goods, they persist in threatening and intimidating you look to escape if you can. If there is a way of running away then take this option.

7. If you are corenered and you cannot run away then look to see if there is anyone who can help and call them. At all times keep your eyes on your assailants. DO NOT let them enter your personal space. Keep your hands up in front of you just above waist height with your hands open. This can look like a pacifying gesture. But it also acts as a barrier between you and your assailant. Try to talk to them calmly. Appeal to their better nature. If this fails and they start to encroach into your personal space then push them hard and shout at the top of your voice. This can stun them and give you a small window of opportunity to escape.

8. If you cannot escape and you have absolutely no alternative then the only option remaining is to defend yourself. If you are going to do this you really need to be clear on one thing. Hit hard, be brutal and do ANYTHING you need to do to get away. Again, this response is likely to stun the group which will buy you time to escape but under no circumstances stop to admire your work or try to take them all on. Your primary objective is escape.

I realize some of the above points I have made may be unpalletable to many law abiding citizens but unfortunately these actions can be the difference between escaping and being badly injured or worse. Some of these gangs of lads are like Hyenas preying on the weak and there is a group mentality at work. I hope that all the parents who have objected to the points I have previously raised will pass on this advice to their teenage children.

[macroban]

And now your advice for the elderly?

[jimmy two times]

The same as above, but obviously forget the running away bit.

[Jeremy]

I do agree with most of what you say... I can't understand why parents let their kids carry mobile phones and MP3 players around. These items are highly stealable and can cost hundreds of pounds. As you say, physical confrontation is the last resort, but if you're surrounded, you may as well kick one of them in the nuts to try and buy some time to run away.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

A tightly rolled up magazine in the eye is probably more effective.

[lenk]

macroban Wrote:

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> And now your advice for the elderly?

Always carry nunchucks.

[pommie]

Jimmy

Sorry but how do you "try not to look like a victim!"

My friends daughter was approached by a group of school kids from another school. She was herded into a corner and couldnt get out. She didnt have any valuables on her but they still started on her.

[Jeremy]

Peckhamgatecrasher Wrote:

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> A tightly rolled up magazine in the eye is probably more effective.

Even when tightly rolled, the magazine will possibly have a larger diameter than the eye socket. Also, very easy to miss the eye unless you are some sort of fencing expert.

But on the plus side, attacking a group of lads with a rolled up copy of Kerrang is likely to provoke fits of laughter, which may provide the ideal opportunity to leg it.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

The secret is to roll it on a slant - you can then inflict serious paper cuts on/around eye.

[TillieTrotter]

I was born and bred in South London and have luckily never been mugged or had any really bad experiences. I have hopefully brought my kids up to be street wise and they're certainly not nervy kids. I do however, like to tell them where to keep an extra eye out for any trouble.

The bit about them having phones is a difficult one. I struggled with that for a long time and they certainly didn't have them until secondary school. It's swings and roundabouts really, do you want them to be contactable when they go to the park or are their phones too much of a mugging risk. I think I prefer them to have their phones, not expensive ones, and teach them to give them straight up if they feel threatened.

[jimmy two times]

You try not to look like a victim by looking confident. Walk tall and not slouched, keep your head up and don't look at the ground, avoid looking at potential threats in the eye but equally don't look away too quickly and don't look down at the floor either when they look at you, as this is a submissive gesture.It's not always guaranteed to be enough but it's more likely that any potential aggressors will think twice if they think you are not a soft target.