Over the past four weeks, there were 35 thefts in the High Street and twelve incidents of antisocial behaviour, reports Sebastian Mann, Local Democracy Reporter
The council and police have pledged to crack down on crime in central Walthamstow after a reported spate of thefts and antisocial behaviour.
Over the past four weeks, there were 35 thefts in the High Street and twelve incidents of antisocial behaviour (ASB).
In 18 cases, people’s phones were either snatched from their hands or pinched from their bags.
The data was published by the Metropolitan Police’s safer neighbourhoods team (SNT) and presented to a ward panel last night (2nd October).
Panel chair Philip Herlihy said social media had been “alight” with incidents and residents were becoming increasingly concerned.
Sgt Dan Bray, with the SNT, told attendees work to catch the thieves was “ongoing” but proving “very challenging”.
One of the main obstacles the force faces is pursuing the thieves, due to the speeds they can reach on their electric scooters.
A member of the Waltham Forest Council’s community safety team warned that Blackhorse Road station, which is served by the Overground and Victoria lines, was a hotspot for thieves.
Reports have also focused around the junction at the east end of the High Street and the connecting side streets.
A Met officer told the panel the phone snatching crime rate was much lower at Leyton Station, where barriers prevent cyclists mounting the pavement.
He added that the “most efficient protection” was for commuters and residents to simply keep their mobile phones in their pockets.
Travellers are warned of the threat of thieves, but the Met says “more awareness is needed” to tackle the issue at the root.
Though the figures are relatively high, they are lower than they were in June. In the summer, 43 thefts were reported over four weeks.
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ASB in the High Street appears to be focused around Sainsbury’s, where people are sleeping rough, according to data provided by the Met.
Of the twelve incidents reported, nine were ‘nuisance ASB,’ which the police define as “a person causing trouble, annoyance or suffering to a community”.
Two were personal incidents and one was environmental, which can extend to graffiti and vandalism.
The council says it is currently in talks with Sainsbury’s.
Sgt Bray added the most “prolific” offenders had previously been handed community protection notices and were currently keeping away from the ward.
Philip said that people were riding bicycles down the market “as fast as 15mph,” and shoppers “don’t know if the riders will move or if they should jump out the way”.
He told the Met: “It’s antisocial and it needs to be controlled.”
Sgt Bray said the force would look to tackle the issue by ticketing offenders, ahead of a follow-up meeting in January.
Also highlighted were 17 ‘violence against women and girls’ (VAWG) offences, of which three were domestic.
VAWG is a wide-ranging term, covering offences such as stalking, harassment, domestic abuse and sexual violence.
In June, two offences were recorded: an attempted rape and sexual touching.
In a bid to stamp out the issue, the council has launched an app for reporting street harassment and runs a drop-in service for domestic abuse victims.
Comparatively, just two sexual offences were logged over September, neither relating to rape.
Sgt Bray said officers had been attending university freshers events and patrolling the streets at night, which he said may have contributed to the low reports.
Four store robberies were also recorded, but no personal incidents. The SNT sergeant said this may be due to “teething issues” with a new logging software, meaning some incidents may have been incorrectly tagged.
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