Police target pickpockets in Hammersmith Town Centre

The Hammersmith Broadway Safer Neighbourhood Team say they will be focusing on trying to tackle dipping offences in Hammersmith's main shopping areas over the summer months – and particularly on Thursday afternoons.

The SNT say dip thefts are highly concentrated in and around Hammersmith Town Centre and analysis suggests such crimes are most likely to occur on a Thursday afternoon between the hours of 12:00 and 16:00. They say suspects are most likely to be white European males aged between 30 and 40 years of age and that they typically target vulnerable and unaware consumers who are busy concentrating on what they are buying rather than who is standing next to them.

Poice say that in the majority of cases, the suspect will snatch the victim’s belongings out of his or her hands and run off. Dippers and pickpockets will take property from an unsuspecting person's open bag or trouser pocket or will 'accidentally' brush or push past the victim while stealing their belongings.

According to police, dipping is a long term problem, with offences taking place in highly populated areas. Pickpocketing, dip thefts and snatches are seen by thieves as a quick and easy way of acquiring money and high value goods such as mobile phones and MP3 players.

The Hammersmith Broadway SNT say they will be conducting high visibility and covert patrols in and around the King Street and Hammersmith Broadway areas over the summer months – a time of the year when dipping offences tend to increase due to the influx of people into and around the ward.

They say they have already arrested two people over the past month in relation to dipping offences. The pair were reportedly “helping themselves to people’s belongings” in the William Morris Pub in Lyric Square. They were subsequently charged and are awaiting trial.

The Hammersmith Broadway Safer Neighbourhood Team holds monthly street briefings at Riverside Studios in Crisp Road between 4pm and 5pm on the first Monday of every month.

15 July 2009