Bag Dipping Success

Recently the Hammersmith Safer Neighbourhood Team and BID PCSOs have been involved in tackling the growing problem of pickpocketing in the BID area.

Specifically, gangs of Eastern European criminals have been targeting handbags and ‘dipping’ them, that is removing cash and other items such as mobile phones without the victim knowing. The gangs are organised, professional and are known to be operating all over London.

As a result a joint police operation has been mounted against them in Hammersmith. Teams from the local SNT in partnership with the BID and National Mobile Phone Crime Unit have been following the dippers and catching them in the act, over 24 arrests have been carried out so far. A recent event at the Hammersmith Apollo was attended by a task force of officers was instrumental in recovering and returning 17 stolen mobile phones over a period of four hours.