Radio Link used by shops helping battle against crime

Shoplifters at Marks & Spencer on the High Road were arrested and charged after staff used the 'town link' radio system to alert police.

The direct link to local police via a handheld radio is used by several shops and businesses in the Chiswick High Road and Turnham Green area. It can be used to request help or report suspicious behaviour.

A police spokesman said that by using the radio the staff at the shop were able to provide real time updates which meant police were able to intercept the suspects with ease.

"The suspects were searched and found to have items from both Tesco and M&S. They were arrested and charged to court the following day."

A number of shops along the High Road have been experiencing a rise in shoplifting incidents. One local source said that this was happening regularly at all the main grocery stores and the store managers had discussed the matter with police. They hope that using the radio link will help to cut the frequency of the theft.

The drive to catch persons stealing from vehicles continues in the Chiswick area. There has been a further, if slight, reduction in offences, and the police are pinning their hopes on using forensic evidence which has seen some success lately.

In May a scheme was implemented to try and get a scene of crimes officer (SOCO) to each allegation of theft from motor vehicle in Chiswick. This has not been achieved on every occasion as there are victims who live all over the country and often report the crimes when they have arrived home, making it impossible for the SOCO to attend.

However, the victims who live in the borough have been very helpful at making their vehicles available to be examined, say police. "Really good evidence has been recovered and a person has been arrested and charged with the offence of theft from motor vehicle after such an examination", said a police spokesman.

"The request is that if you are unfortunate enough to be a victim of a crime such as this, try to preserve the vehicle as best you can. Retain any objects that you find in the vehicle that do not belong to you, whatever they may be and get an officer to attend the scene", say police.

"It is not always practical to wait for police to arrive, but forensic evidence hangs around for a long time, so an examination some time after the event can still yield valuable evidence".

 Turnham Green Crime Figures - 26/05/14 to 08/06/14

There have been 42 crimes recorded in the fortnight, a 14.3% decrease on the 49 crimes last fortnight.

Burglary - There have been 3 residential and 1 non residential burglaries reported this fortnight.

Theft from motor vehicles - 6 theft from motor vehicle offences have been reported this fortnight.

Pickpocket/Theft from person offences - There has been 1 theft from person offence reported this fortnight.

A tip from police is:
When reporting suspects to police, try to provide as much detail as possible. Basic details include age, sex, colour, height, build and clothing. Last known location and direction of travel are also very helpful. Road junctions are a great way to pin point a location. If you can see where the suspect is going then provide regular updates. Do not follow a suspect if doing so puts you at risk.

June 20, 2014