Burglar Bill is the idea of the dedicated Crime Prevention Team from West End Central police station, to stress the importance of security in the work place.
From Tuesday, April 12, plain clothes officers from West End Central police station are visiting 40 businesses or offices that have already signed up for the scheme, based within the Soho area. They will endeavour to get inside the building, walk around, and if requested place stickers on property, which potentially a burglar or a walk-in thief could have stolen. If the officers are challenged by a member of staff during the exercise for identification, they will identify themselves. That member of staff then goes into a prize draw for a prize which has been donated by a company or organisation within the area such as theatre tickets or a meal in the West End for two.
For those staff who fail to ask to see the officers’ identity, they will be introduced to ‘Burglar Bill’, as one of the team dons an outfit, designed by a local designer trained at the London School of Fashion, to highlight that ‘Burglar Bill’ could be anyone. Walk-in burglaries and thefts, whereby a stranger walks into a business or office premises, wanders around without
being challenged by a member of staff or security, and walks out again having stolen property from the company, accounted for 258 crimes reported to West End Central in April 2004 to April 2005.
What they say
Supt Alaric Bonthron, of West End Central, said: “We have a very good relationship with our business community and offer regular crime prevention advice. However this can only go so far, and we wanted to send a serious message to employers and their staff, albeit in a fun way, that would stick in their minds. People tend to be relaxed about security in their work place. We want to instil in people’s minds that they need to ask people they don’t recognise for identification. These criminals are not opportunists, they travel into the West End, often dressed in a suit in an attempt to fit into an office environment.” And John Barradell, Director of Community Protection at Westminster City Council, said: “Most burglaries in workplaces can be prevented through simple crime prevention measures. I am sure a visit from ‘Burglar Bill’ will focus minds!” Feedback from the exercise will be given to managers and security, besides assistance with crime prevention.
