Residents say area ‘not safe’ after triple stabbing
BUSINESS OWNERS ALSO SAID THE AREA’S ‘PLAGUED BY SHOPLIFTERS’
RESIDENTS and shopkeepers in a west London borough where three men were stabbed on one night said the area “was not safe” and was plagued with shoplifters.
Locals in Hounslow spoke after three young men were injured in the high street in the early hours of March 20.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Hounslow residents said antisocial behaviour and crime were common around the high street and had been for a number of years.
The Met Police said it was targeting drugs dealers and other criminals in the area to drive down crime.
The Met Police also said last week that no arrests had been made in connection with the triple stabbing.
Mixall Luggage Hats and Souvenirs shop assistant Sunny, 32, said the incident was not the first time the town had been rocked by violence.
He said: “This whole area is dodgy. It’s the fourth time in a year this has
happened here. We had to close our business because of the police cordon. Thieves and pickpockets operate in this area. Hounslow didn’t used to be like this, but in the past couple of years it has got worse – not just at night but in the daytime as well.”
Mary Macneal, who has lived in Hounslow for more than 30 years, said: “This area is not safe, it has got very bad. It has definitely got worse in the past few years. I get worried about having things stolen off me.”
Balbeir Kapoor, owner of Hounslow Food and Wine, agreed: “This area is 50/50. The sort of people I get in my shop cause trouble.
“They come into the shop looking for trouble and when I refuse to serve them they become angry and aggressive.”
Mr Kapoor said sometimes people will make a run for it and attempt to shoplift goods when he refuses to serve them.
He said: “The area used to be very nice about five or six years ago, but Covid has made it worse because people can wear masks and you can’t see their faces so they feel braver.”
According to the manager of Phone Zone, Ali, the area around the high street is “very rough”.
He said: “I once had three phones stolen in one hour. There is very little you can do, but to be honest you have to protect yourself.”
Some businesses on the high street had taken extra steps to protect themselves from theft.
According to Costa Coffee manager Jarek, the cafe changed its display fridges four years ago to prevent people stealing food.
He said: “People were coming and stealing the sandwiches. We only noticed once they were all gone. All that has stopped since we put sandwiches in a new fridge.”
According to crime figures published by the Metropolitan Police, there were 778 incidents of shoplifting and antisocial behaviour in Hounslow town centre between February 2021 and January 2022, just over 30% of all crime reported in the area during that time.
There were also 525 incidents of violence and sexual offences.
Hounslow town centre was one of several areas across London receiving funding for extra police officers in an effort to drive down crime rates across the capital. The new team was launched in February this year.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “The Hounslow town centre team consists of one inspector, three sergeants and 21 constables regularly on high visibility foot/cycle and plain clothes patrols.
“Officers check daily to see where the crime hotspots are and target patrols accordingly.
“We have conducted an proactive operation targeting the drug dealers who operate, which resulted in a number of arrests, along with weapons seized.
“Officers are pro-actively dealing with anti-social behaviour by issuing ASB notices, creating intelligence reports, gaining evidence for criminal behaviour orders for anyone highlighted as being a nuisance and arresting individuals who are committing criminal offences and causing issues to members of the public.
“Our aim is to make the High Street and surrounding areas as hostile as possible for criminals.”