Out of sight is safer

The Metropolitan Police is advising Londoners to keep cash and mobile phones out of sight in street robbery hotspots like train and tube stations in a new ‘Operation Safer Streets’ advertising campaign.

The campaign is designed to reduce street crime and will run for two weeks across London.

The message ‘Out of sight is safer’ will appear on posters, in underground and train stations, on trains and buses and along high streets on sandwich boards. There will also be radio commercials to remind people of the need to be vigilant

Assistant Commissioner Tim Godwin said:
“The Met is committed to reducing street robbery and we have had success. However the public have a role to play too and that is what this campaign is about. The message is simple: keep valuables out of sight whenever possible, especially at crime hotspots like tube and train stations. When you do have to take your phone or cash out in a public place, be aware of who’s around you. Street robbers tend to be opportunistic – don’t make yourself an easy target.”

Operation Safer Streets is the Metropolitan Police Service response to street crime within London and was first implemented in February 2001.

Since it’s implementation Safer Streets, which was originally concentrated across nine borough, then fifteen and then London-wide, has had great success in bringing down levels of street crime within the capital (from around 7000 reported offences a month in late 2001 to a monthly rate of around 5000 reported offences throughout most of 2002 and to date).

Approximately 50% of reported street crime involves mobile phones. Some street crime consists solely of the theft of a mobile phone (around 30% of street crime), whilst other incidents may involve theft of a mobile phone as part of the crime with other items also being stolen.

Previous Safer Streets campaigns have included highlighting the benefits of marking property (including mobile phones) with permanent marker so that it can be returned to the rightful owner if found by police. Recently a joint advertising campaign with the mobile phone industry has informed the public that they can have a phone disabled via a central telephone reporting system should it be stolen.