Local crime / safety

I just read some alarming stuff on the SE23 mum’s Facebook group about local crimes that have happened over the last few days, including a woman who was robbed by a gang of men on mopeds while she was walking with her children. I saw two mopeds yesterday with no number plates. The men were wearing bandanas over their faces. Do you think crime is increasing in the area and has anyone else heard about this spate of attacks (inc. a man stabbed on a bus).

I think @ForestHillSNT should be made aware of this, so just tagging them now.

They do an amazing job for our community

I saw a group of mopeds on Mayow Road yesterday lunchtime stopped in the middle of the road, having a chat with each other. I had to drive around them. It was very odd.

I’ve seen that thread. I don’t think you should overly worry - there are some slight over-reactions (in my opinion) on that thread.

It stemmed from the stabbing post the bus confrontation I think - I just think with social media you hear about these things more. They are thankfully rare, but also you also live in an area with lots of good people who are likely to come to your aid in some way if you are unfortunate to experience an issue.

I’ve always felt relatively safe in SE23 - ultimately we live in London, and crime is a fact of life, but I don’t think you should worry. Be vigilant, take precautions as you would normally but generally just enjoy living in a really nice community!

Yes it was a bit alarming yesterday with all the police & ambulances for the bus incident especially as it happened at school pick up time.
I am not sure crime has particularly increased though. We probably just read about it more.
However the groups of moped riders I do find intimidating.

I think the moped gangs snatching phones/bags are prevalent across London right now. I’ve seen more reports even down the road in SE22 than in SE23. It has made me change my behaviour though - my phone is now tucked away when walking along especially in the evenings.

Thanks oakr, my concern is more that my 10 year old daughter wants to start walking to school on her own. I have lived in cities in many different countries and can cope with a certain amount of risk but when it comes to young people wandering around, that’s when I worry.

Perhaps @ForestHillSNT could comment on the moped gangs

I saw two mopeds with men with faces covered – speeding on Dartmouth Road last evening.

Dear Forest Hill (&Perry Vale/CroftonPark),

All three of my wards (Forest Hill, Perry Vale and Crofton Park) are some of the safest and calmest on the borough. My team and the rest of your police are working hard to tackle issues that are effecting you including ASB and knife crime.
The assault on the bus referred to was, I believe, an isolated incident. I attended the scene, as did some of my officers.
At least one arrest has been made and enqs continue.

I’ve been out out and about on all three wards this week and have really been impressed by the community spirit. I’ve been offered more cups of tea and cakes than at any time in my service! Thank you especially to the girl in Perry Rise who gave me some excellent carrot cake yesterday!

I would ask that any information re moped crime (which again is low in number in the wards) is given to us so it can be actioned. If you see appparently abandoned mopeds hidden away - let us know!
Likewise information re burglary and drugs dealing (which often leads to ASB) should be sent to us.

In the mean time YOUR local police will be out and about as much as possible - crime investigations permitting. Each of your officers are investigating around 6-8 ongoing and long term Neighbourhood Crimes - tackling crimes that are often centred on complex community issues.

Please say hi to us!
We are working for YOU!

Jon Biddle PS36PL
Forest Hill, Perry Vale and Crofton Park SNTs

Brilliant update, @SgtBiddle, thank you.

@Forestmother - if your daughter is keen to start walking by herself, it’s absolutely the right age, in my experience, and I’m sure she’ll be perfectly safe, allowing for the usual precautions we all take to keep ourselves safe in the city. My two kids (one now at Uni, one currently doing his GCSEs) both started walking home by themselves towards the end of Year 5. It gave them a lot of confidence when they started taking themselves to secondary school, which involves three buses!

Yes mine started walking to school by herself at 10 as preparation for Secondary school. You see a lot of older children walking to school and back by themselves in this area, it’s nice when they can start having a little bit of freedom. In my opinion it’s the cars that are the most danger! But yes we’ve had a few talks about what to do for example if someone you don’t know starts talking to you.
Also I understand there are a few ‘safe’ spots children can go to if they are feeling worried about something - Sugar Mountain is one of them is that right @Pauline - can anyone advise where we go about getting a list of these?

Yes Jane, my shops a “safe haven” for the local kids. Kids on the Hill was one too, but that’s closed down now.

Anywhere that’s a “safe haven” will have a sticker in their windows that looks like this

IMG_6436.JPG1936×2592 1020 KB

Thanks Pauline

Morning Sgt Biddle, really good to see you on here. Don’t overdo the cake, you need your speed and fitness to chase those pesky mopeds !

Good to see the police nabbing a quad bike rider opposite the Honor Oak pub this afternoon. Barman said it was armed police, though noone else we talked to said guns were involved. A number of police SUVs still tearing around so I suspect they’re after the rest of the gang.

Ok, just seen it is armed response and the guys are carrying rifles and heard several others say the police drew guns on the bikers. Serious stuff.

Edit: can’t have been that serious, they’ve just let the quad biker and accompanying motorbiker ride off. Why draw weapons then after a while just let them drive off? Was this a cock-up on intelligence, mistaking some idiotic group of bellend riders but no worse for an organised gang of armed thieves, or something else? Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for those fools who endanger others through moronic driving being apprehended by armed officers but that isn’t current procedure.

There was another attack this afternoon apparently, at the top of Brockley Rise. So this might have been linked to that. The guys were on motorbikes, rather than quad bikes. I hope they got them.

Was most likely in connection to this.

Of course, there will always be questions.

Probably referring to the tasers than actual guns I would expect. Unless it was a proper hard stop with intel pointing towards a gun.
Onlookers always see things that didn’t quite happen.

If the armed officers had their MP5’s on their bodies, they would generally hold onto them which may appear to some as brandishing the weapon.

I thought there were operational guidelines on seriousness of incident for ARVOs even taking out rifles/carbines from their secure safe in the vehicle, not just aiming/brandishing them. The officers definitely had carbines on their person. The knife operation is likely sufficient, just frustrating that both the guys stopped were simply let go, especially if it’s the same quad biker who’s part of the usual gang who terrorize the streets with some lethal driving, would’ve been good to have them banged up.

See a lot more with them on their persons these days. Not sure how the guidelines have changed due to recent events.

just joined the forum. Wanted to inform you guys I got robbed by moped mafias yesterday. I am very scared and in doubt how safe is this area. I was robbed at brought day light. In front of so many people and shops. I have little hope that they will be caught. I was informed by the police yesterday only around 7 incidents reported and this is happening everyday . So please be carefull with your belongings. Specially ladies with jewelleries.

This is horrible to hear. Can you share where in SE23 this happened?

That is so horrible to hear, I hope you have recovered from the ordeal. My daughter & myself have both been victims of mugging on 2 separate occasions (not recently I’m glad to say), but it really does frighten & shake you up.

The mental injury is more than the physical injury. This happened in brockley rise.

You are correct - when I was mugged (handbag snatched) some years ago, I was jumpy for many months afterwards when I sensed anyone or any noise behind me. It’s little comfort now but it will eventually lessen.

What did help me was trying to put myself back in control when I had to walk that way. For me that meant regularly checking behind me so no- one could surprise me, being prepared to scream (neighbours came out when I screamed during attack - strangely the mugger ignored me when I just swore at him ) and, on occasion, speaking to someone getting off the bus at the same time and deliberately walking along the road with them.

I hope you are able to find something that works for you until the shock wears off.

So sorry to hear this @SbTal I hope you’re okay & welcome to the forum

Thank you so much. Very true. The mugger injured me during the attack so it will need some time to recover from that shock.

Thank you so much. Yes getting better. I was curious to know about this area more after the attack. So I found this forum very helpful. Wish I joined before so I could be more vigilant.

We actually live in a very safe area by London standards, please do pop in for a chat at my shop anytime.I’d love to meet you & tell you all about the great stuff that goes on in our area. I for one as a local shopkeeper would definitely have intervened if I saw this happening to you…

Feel free to pop in for a chat anytime about local goings on & an Ice cream or bag of sweeties will be on me.

I also know @SgtBiddle & his team - they do a great job for our area, but they do like lollipops too

Hope you’re OK. I guess we can say it’s a trend going on all across London right now. That probably doesn’t make you feel any better but yeah. This Metro article says this type of crime has increased by 600% from 2014-2016. I dare say even more in 2017. 50,000 incidents a year. That’s 136 of these a day.

The police are absolutely powerless to stop it. So it will probably become even more brazen and worse until some horrific incident makes the newspapers and the police are allowed to actually chase these people down.

Will sure meet you @pauline , where is your shop?

Yes am getting better. You are so true. That day when I was talking to the police it was very clear to me they are so helpless and can do nothing about it. So absolutely had no hope that something would be done. In this last two days the same incident happened to people I know. One person was stabbed in Brockley. It’s just horrid.

I’m at 57a Dartmouth Road & look forward to meeting you

I think forestmother is right to ask about the safety of the area in relation to her kids walking to school.
I understand muggings and the recent incident on the bus are not common, but the bigger issue I have is in the crazy driving I’ve noticed since moving here from south west London.
I lived near tooting previously, which was always busy and hectic, but the speed and (sometimes) aggression I see in drivers around here is worrying. I don’t know what it is, but one thing is that the roads are so much wider and more open- I wonder if there’s a connection. It’s not implausible that finding a clear and wide bit of road in London might bring out the inner racer in people. 20mph roads seem ineffective, unless speed cameras are present as that seems to help on brockley rose since it’s been there.
In terms of occasional aggression on the road, the incident with the quads on Sunday was alarming because they mounted the pavement, I was out with my daughter when this happened and right close to them. Sorry to say it’s not the first time I’ve seen motorcyclists mounting the pavement, happened a couple of times down Cranston road. Of course I’m not suggesting this is usual behaviour, but when you put it all together it’s a concern when considering at what point to let your kids walk to school by themselves or into town.

While not wishing to diminish at all the real dangers out there, all children need to learn road safety and most will be travelling to school by themselves from the age of 11/12, so learning to handle themselves gradually on routes they are familiar with is important. It makes them more safe in the long run.

With my kids, we started gradually - I first met them a street away from school, after they had crossed with the school crossing guard but before they had to cross another road. Then I met them a few streets further back, allowing them to cross side roads. And so on, until they were walking all the way home. When they went to secondary school, we practiced the route several times over the school holidays, looking for potential danger points.

Aggressive and dangerous drivers are a danger to us all sadly, be we adult or children.

That must of felt like the longest wait.

Just out of interest, what is the easiest way to contact the Forest Hill SNT and Sgt Biddle (I mean discretely if necessary rather than just twitter/forum) to discuss particular concerns and where exactly are they based? For that matter where is our nearest Police Station? There’s not one in Forest Hill and the one on Lordship Lane closed.

Forest Hill SNT
0208 721 2723
ForestHill.SNT@met.police.uk

Catford Police station.

I gather that once Brockwell and Sydenham had stations but these were closed as part of the previous Mayor’s cuts to policing in London. Catford is now only open during day time I believe. Thankfully we have @SgtBiddle on the beat!

There was a station on Dartmouth Road but that also closed.

All I can say is thank god we have Twitter to report crimes these days.

Difficult to tweet when your phone has been nicked though.

Naughty Starman

No fair, these withdrawn posts make me desperate to know what was said (I’m sad like that!).