Turnham Green Terrace shop alert stops robbery
Chiswick police say the Turnham Green Radio Link used by shops in the street has successfully foiled an attempted robbery.
A police spokesperson said two men had entered the premises of Dynasty ladieswear shop on Dec 4th. They locked the door behind them and tried to grab hold of a woman, believed to be the owner. She managed to raise the alert using the Radio Link which brought a nearby police patrol to the scene.
The two men ran off when the alarm was raised and did not get anything, said the police. The victim was shaken but unhurt.
“This was an example of the radio link working well. We were on the scene within minutes,” said the police.
The Turnham Green Radio link was introduced in December 2011 as Chiswick traders decided to fight back against criminals in the run-up to Christmas. They were issued with a radio system that gives direct links to police and other retailers. Forty traders signed up to the Turnham Green Direct Link in a bid to combat shop-lifting as they faced into their busiest trading time of the year.
The system which is already in existence in other cities throughout the UK, provides instant communication between retailers and police and is considered to give a more cohesive approach in tackling crime. The advantage is that businesses can update the police directly about an incident as it happens and it is regarded as a first line defence against world be thieves.
Community support officers are also regularly patrolling and checking that the radio system is working for shop-keepers.
December 15, 2012