Within The Triangle
In the last two months burglaries within the Triangle are once again on the increase. We’ve had 8 burglaries in this period. One was an outbuilding and another was at St Marks Hostel but the remaining burglaries are all residential houses with the main access point being the basement sash window. Last year the Triangle was particularly targeted and with this sudden rise in just our area - the rest of West Greenwich has had hardly any burglaries reported in comparison - our Safer Neighbourhood Team are going to roll out SmartWater again to residents who did not receive a kit earlier this year. If the police issue the kits they are completely free and there is no ongoing fee. I highly recommend anyone to obtain a kit if offered as they are a preventative measure against crime and if you are the unfortunate victim of a burglary your possessions can be easily identified and given back if recovered by the Police. The Ashburnham Triangle is the first area in West Greenwich to trial SmartWater. I will let you know dates of when SmartWater will be issued in due course.
A quick re-cap on SmartWater:
WHAT IS SMARTWATER®
SmartWater is a way for police to definitively link your valuable items to you. Almost invisible to the naked eye, the advanced liquid glows yellowy-green under UV light and every bottle has a unique forensic code. This means if an item is recovered by the police which is marked by SmartWater, such as a bicycle, the police can use forensic analysis to identify the address and return the bike to its rightful owner. It can be used to invisibly tag all your valuable items, from watches and jewellery to laptops and mobile phones. The application will last approximately 5 years and it's almost impossible to remove. To date, the use of SmartWater has had a 100% conviction rate in court and has been proved to reduce burglaries by 85%.
There is also a new initiative being rolled out shortly by the police whereby vulnerable areas will be monitored with plain clothes police officers. Ashburnham Triangle is flagged as a “vulnerable area” with regard to burglaries so I’m expecting more patrols. However, please can you all remain extra vigilant at this time of year. Always lock windows, especially sash basement windows with proper sash bolts and always double bolt your front door at night. If you live in a flat please ensure your main entry door is closed fully after you enter or exit to stop anyone from entering your block.
See attached link which gives advice from the Met Police on how to protect your home.
The theft of motorvehicles including mopeds and motorbikes has also risen. We have seen a hugh spike in the rise of keyless car crime recently. There are many desirable vehicles in the Triangle. To keep your vehicle safe, DON'T leave keys near the front of the house as their signal can easily be copied to a remote device. Keep them stored in a signal blocking pouch or metal tin. I’ve even heard people keeping their keys in the Fridge!
There has also been numerous reports of theft from vehicles. Please DO NOT leave anything on display. If there is nothing to tempt the opportunist thief then they will walk on. Individuals have been captured on CCTV recently looking into the windows of all cars and trying car doors. Don’t give them a reason to break-in.
Outside the Triangle
There was a stabbing at the Post Office on Thursday 17 October. This incident occurred during the day at approx 12:30pm. The victim knew the assailant and this was a deliberate attack. It was not a random act of violence. The victim was taken to hospital and his injuries were not life threatening, however he is not co-operating with the police. The investigation is on-going.
At a recent football match between Charlton v Leeds, some Leeds supporters caused problems at the Royal Navy College including one assault. CCTV footage has been sent to Leeds Police to identify the individuals.
Bikelife have once again been causing trouble for residents and tourists within the Greenwich Town Centre. This groups initial aim was to bring young bikers together to ride, perform tricks and share videos and photos on social media. However, recently the large groups of bikers are just disrupting traffic and generally causing chaos. Police continue to monitor the situation and swiftly move them on when they are in the area.
Safer Neighbourhood Police Visibility
Due to recent events happening locally including the Extinction Rebellion Protest in central London last month, our Safer Neighbourhood Police are being pulled off their normal duties to patrol other jobs outside Greenwich Town Centre. This is expected to continue until after the General Election. They find it very frustrating and apologise in advance if they do take longer to respond to any enquires. However, our team are dedicated and do read and action any emails you send so please do continue to send any concerns directly to them.
For your information please find attached the minutes of the last meeting held in September here.
Tina Pugh
ATA Security / Police Liaison
Email: ata.secureteam@gmail.com
Non Emergency dial 101
Greenwich Safer Neighbourhood Team: 020 8284 5494 (not 24 hour)
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