2 muggings at knife point in Silverdale

[Tadpole]

Just a warning to anyone around the area, my son's friend was mugged at knife point Saturday evening by 2 guys, one approached him asking for a cigarette and then another came from behind with the knife. He gave them what he had, which was a mobile and small amount of cash.
Then last night my son was approached, again in Silverdale, but this time just 1 male wearing a hoody who ran up quickly behind him, again with a knife.
My son, only too aware of his friends incident, reacted quickly and fought the attacker off so that he could run away.
The police drove my son around the area and he was eventually spotted in Sydenham Park.

No idea if it was the same guy involved in both incidents but it was around the same time 10.30 -11pm.
So if anyone is arriving home late by train in the evenings, please be vigilant.

[bigbadwolf]

Was the mugger that attempted to rob your son <deleted>?

-----------
Crystal Palace supporter? Sydenham Society Executive Member? ...
Asking for information about the attacker is fine, but inferring a particular ethnicity is, as the judge, would say, a leading question. Not allowed there are not allowed here - Admin

[Eagle]

Another terrible example of modern low life.
I feel very sorry for the victims.

I am not sure why it should be wrong to ask for a description of the offender. No one is surely suggesting all of the offenders ethnic persuassion are guilty.

[Tadpole]

Either attempted robbery or he intended to stab him for no reason.
It was held in his hand in such a way that, from behind, he would have put his arm around sons neck and held knife to the throat but as my son turned around as he was literally behind him within an arms length.

My son and his friend are not kids, late 20/early 30's so I assume targeted because they may have more cash or stuff to sell on? only guessing there.

Just wanted to warn others to be cautious around that time in the area.
Saturday incident: Watch out for anyone asking for a cigarette and looking over your shoulder at the same time as they watch their friend approach you from behind.

Last night.......son crossed road as he would normally, mugger walked past by about 20 feet then turned and ran quickly to catch from behind.

Reluctant to put descriptions in case of mistaken identity.
If it was something like bright pink hair with a snake tattoo on their face I would post as unlikely to be 2 people in the area that fits that description.

[sydeman]

Really sorry to hear about the mugging, what an awlful experience.

However, i dont understand why a description cannot be provided, and why admin has taken such a hard line to this? How else are we to either catch the culprits or atleast be aware?

[Tadpole]

I spoke to a cso earlier who was unaware of last nights incident but said there were 3 in the last 10/14 days in silverdale, so my son makes 4.

My son thinks the closure of the Sydenham police station has resulted in increased crime in the area over the last few years and would like to see it reinstated as a full time one, or at least change their opening hours from the current 10am-6pm to 6pm to 2am when more crime happens, but I doubt anything can be changed.

Admin has explained before somewhere why no descriptions but I cant remember what it was.

[bensonby]

My son thinks the closure of the Sydenham police station has resulted in increased crime in the area over the last few years and would like to see it reinstated as a full time one, or at least change their opening hours from the current 10am-6pm to 6pm to 2am when more crime happens, but I doubt anything can be changed.

why would varying the opening hours of the police station have any effect?

It's not like there would be a cadre of police officers sitting in there waiting to charge out..... as it is the police officers based at the three "parading" police stations on the borough don't just sit in there waiting for a call - they are out and about. Proximity to police stations does little in the way of preventing crime or affecting response. Think about all the stuff that happens in Deptford - within a few years there were three murders metres from Deptford Police Station which is a 24 hour nick: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8670067.stm

[Tadpole]

it's not like there would be a cadre of police officers sitting in there waiting to charge out..... as it is the police officers based at the three "parading" police stations on the borough don't just sit in there waiting for a call - they are out and about. Proximity to police stations does little in the way of preventing crime or affecting response. Think about all the stuff that happens in Deptford - within a few years there were three murders metres from Deptford Police Station which is a 24 hour nick: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8670067.stm

Must be my age, I always thought that the police were based in their local area, things have changed since my aunt was a special constable.

Where are our parading stations?

The response time was very quick and my son was very happy with the police.

His thinking behind the time change is based on a conversation and information that the office who drove him home gave him. He is going to ask for verification on this, because if its correct, then muggings have increased in the area since it closed.

All the police cars round here in the evening seem to be going to somewhere very quickly, don't recall seeing one just patrolling, but then again I don't go out much in the evenings.

[MiniFox]

My dad was a policeman in the 60s, latterly a PHD criminologist
He will happily tell you that the stats on police actually coming upon a crime (even back then) are about once every seven years and that it's dependance on public information that solves crime

I dont know if this is accurate. My dad talks a fair bit of nonsense often

[penguinoid]

Yikes! This is why I don't cut through the alley into Silverdale if it's late and I'm not in a crowd. That said I'd be easy pickings nearer to home.

[bensonby]

Must be my age, I always thought that the police were based in their local area, things have changed since my aunt was a special constable.

Things like response are generally (although not completely) more efficient when centralised at one location. Police are still based in local areas through the Safer Neighbourhood project.

I shan't go into all the ins and outs of it - but essentially response are the people who turn up when you call 999 and who drive about patrolling in their cars and cover a whole borough. Whilst SNT are locally based and are focussed on "problem solving", building up contacts within communities, and localised patrols and are based very locally - on a ward level.

Where are our parading stations?

Catford, Lewisham and Deptford. That said where they parade from has little bearing on where they will go to a call: I believe the man who chased your son's attacker was a Deptford officer (if it's the incident I'm thinking of)

[jackieboo]

This is so sad.

I lived in Sydenham in the early 70's and as a young girl would often walk home down from Sydenham Station, alone at about 10 o'clock without fearing anyone, as I'd got a train home from an evening job in a West End Theatre.

Never a moment's worry, no phone, no worry for parents continually, no ability to check on my whereabouts on facebook etc etc.....

I now even worry about my Sons who are in their 20's and daughter who is almost 20 and am always on at them about what is on view, what to do if anyone wants anything......any time they go out you are almost making a detailed memory of what they were wearing when they left.

This scum continues to get away with it because they have no morals, their families teach them nothing and they have nothing to empower them to consider their own futures.

Banning "hoodies" might sound ridiculous but if you are wearing one to hide your face then you are obviously up to something (and probably very physically ugly as well as of limited intelligence) it might be a start.

I hope the victims in these recent cases can get over the emotional side of it. Just thank goodness no physical harm was done.

There is no religious reason or otherwise for ANYONE to be wearing a cap and hooded top to hide their face from full view.

[jackieboo]

Makes one feel so confused as to why 3 police squad cars have to go to a Z list celeb (Jordan) when she worries autograph hunters are outside when they are more needed for real crimes.,(as in the news today).

Just WHO sets the priority?

[Eagle]

well said jackieboo.

I nominate you for Home Sec .

[perryman]

If this has become a problem area, why cant the police place a camera or 2 at key points?

Unless the mugger is 100% professional, then he will give clues away to his identity however well he hides his face - plus they could link the footage to cameras on the high street.

Incidents like this are very damaging to the community - you cant just weigh up the price by how much money people have lost.

[bensonby]

Unless the mugger is 100% professional, then he will give clues away to his identity however well he hides his face - plus they could link the footage to cameras on the high street.

Incidents like this are very damaging to the community - you cant just weigh up the price by how much money people have lost.

There are several cameras around in key sites in Sydenham and across the borough. There maybe should be more. The poor quality of the footage has to be seen to be believed though: it's alright if it's zoomed in but for it to be zoomed in the incident has to come to the attention of the controller as it happens....

He was nicked though; so it deomstrates, to a greater or lesser extent, that police tactics in catching these offenders works. The clear-up rate for street robberies are relatively good.

[penguinoid]

He was nicked though; so it deomstrates, to a greater or lesser extent, that police tactics in catching these offenders works. The clear-up rate for street robberies are relatively good.

A fair point, and good to know.

[Eagle]

Good if The Police have caught the offender.

Let us trust he gets locked up for many years.

[summerbreeze]

This is so sad.

I lived in Sydenham in the early 70's and as a young girl would often walk home down from Sydenham Station, alone at about 10 o'clock without fearing anyone, as I'd got a train home from an evening job in a West End Theatre.

Never a moment's worry, no phone, no worry for parents continually, no ability to check on my whereabouts on facebook etc etc.....

I now even worry about my Sons who are in their 20's and daughter who is almost 20 and am always on at them about what is on view, what to do if anyone wants anything......any time they go out you are almost making a detailed memory of what they were wearing when they left.

This scum continues to get away with it because they have no morals, their families teach them nothing and they have nothing to empower them to consider their own futures.

Banning "hoodies" might sound ridiculous but if you are wearing one to hide your face then you are obviously up to something (and probably very physically ugly as well as of limited intelligence) it might be a start.

I hope the victims in these recent cases can get over the emotional side of it. Just thank goodness no physical harm was done.

There is no religious reason or otherwise for ANYONE to be wearing a cap and hooded top to hide their face from full view.

I would just like to pick up on your point on hoody wearing lads after speaking to teenager’s working voluntary with them and having three teenagers myself you have to understand them. Not all hoody wearers are out to harm, but actually wear them to protect themselves from being indentified. The reasons for this are most I have spoken to fear the streets. They fear being on the streets alone and believe if they travel out side of the area they live in they will be a target of attack for trespassing on others ground. I have teenage boys I have never let them go out with hoddies on and hide for fear of being attacked. Kids talk about this in schools their teaching comes from each other most of which is glorified tales, but sadly children believe each other and have influence on each other. What they are doing is putting fear into each other and it then perpetuates. My boys are neither uneducated nor ugly but given the chance they wanted to hide their faces I haven’t let them, because I believe it makes you a target. It also makes adults think you are something that you are not, we as adults need to understand youth of today not just tarnish them with a label that all hoody wearing youth are thugs so give up on them too, some are victims of their own fears and insecurities.
Media will lead you to believe youth is the problem of today’s society, but I disagree we as adults have to take a lot of the responsibility too, we need to listen to the children’s fears. Adults should be there to nurture children and make them feel secure it is a shame on a society that isn’t protecting our children of the future.

[Tadpole]

Catford, Lewisham and Deptford. That said where they parade from has little bearing on where they will go to a call: I believe the man who chased your son's attacker was a Deptford officer (if it's the incident I'm thinking of)

Could well be as I didn't put that bit Based on that, the car can't have been too far away as they were very quick to arrive.

Re: Hoodies, my son was wears one himself! so no, not all hoodie wearers are bad, he's worn them since he was young, so going back 15 years or so.

Silverdale could do with a cctv camera from the alley pointing away from the high street, but I doubt with the cut backs that there's any money for one at present, or better street lighting, I always find it a dark road to walk along.

All we can do is be vigilant and keep an eye out for each other.