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By Paula Planelles Manzanaro
The Metropolitan Police and InMidtown, the Business Improvement District (BID) which represents 560 businesses in Central London, have created an innovative campaign to reduce the number of theft related crimes in Holborn, Bloomsbury and St Giles. Local companies and individuals from these areas will be able to register their office equipment, which will help officers identify stolen items and return them to their rightful owners.
The new campaign, named as “Operation Sting”, is a pioneering strategy against crime, which will let Police officers identify stolen items, such as laptops, bicycles, mobile phones and other office devices.
Local companies and their workers will be able to log virtually any item for free free and to report the registered object, in case of being stolen, which will be immediately added to the police database for lost or stolen property. A tracker with a unique ID for each registered item and mobile scanners carried by Police officers will facilitate the identification and seizure of the stolen objects. In addition, an instant messaging service for shops, restaurants and commercial firms along the area will alert people after the crime.
The project also incorporates a preventive measure, as the users who have opted into “Operation Sting” will be provided with windows stickers and property markers for their items to warn off potential criminals.
The initiative has been created to avoid theft crimes in the area, which was before characterized by a high level of poverty and crime, Tass Mavrogordato, chief excutive of InMidtown, said. According to Tass Mavrogordato, the area now has one of the lowest levels of violent crime in central London but still faces a high rate of thefts. “We’ve struck up this unique partnership to ensure this thriving centre of commercial business and culture remains a district that people want to work in and visit”.
Meanwhile, Gail Woodend, Head of Facilities at Saffery Champness, highlighted the importance of the operation: “Although I’ve never felt in danger, I am always very vigilant when transporting around my laptop and Blackberry. Being so central and with lots of open spaces, it’s a location that is likely to attract petty crime, but knowing that this issue is being tackled as a priority is reassuring and makes it a more enjoyable place to work and socialize.”
The scheme, which aims the area to become safer, has been also praised by the Metropolitan Police. “We are dedicated to making the area a safer place in which to live, work and visit and are keen to work with third parties, like InMidtown, to find a lasting solution.”, the Met Police Officer Simon Webb commented.
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