Alert Boxes to tackle shop crime
Cllr James Barber took me and Jonathan out this week to witness the installation of a second round of ‘Alert Boxes’ in stores on Lordship Lane and Northcross Road thanks to Cleaner, Greener, Safer money from the Dulwich Community Council
Alert Boxes are a simple means of helping local stores to warn each other about shoplifters and other trouble in their area.
James has led the Alert Box scheme locally and tells me that police estimates are that the first round of alert boxes helped to cut crime in the area by 58% in their first year of operation. So we were delighted to have been able to give another £5,000 grant which will link another 30 stores to the scheme.
Alert boxes work like a small digital radio. If a shopkeeper wants to warn others about potential shoplifters or to issue a distress call then they simply press a button. Experience has shown that their neighbours will be very quick to come to their aid.
As well as boosting the fight against crime, these boxes help to build relations between local stores and are especially useful in helping stores run by just a single person to feel safer. Its ba practical way of cutting crime and supporting localshops. Well done James!
