Café Watch anti-crime scheme set to grow - coffee chain 'info-share' credited with drop in incidents
Published: 23 July 2010
by JAMIE WELHAM
PETTY crime in coffee shops has dramatically fallen thanks to an innovative scheme.
Café Watch was introduced across the major chains by Westminster City Council five years ago to encourage swapping information about suspects and aggressive beggars.
It has been credited with halving the number of crimes in chains including Starbucks, Eat, Costa Coffee, Pret A Manger and Caffè Nero. The numbers of reported crimes, such as mobile phone theft or bag snatches, fell from 816 in the first three months of 2007 to 397 in the same period this year.
Under the scheme, which is joint funded by City Hall and the Metropolitan Police, regular visits are carried out by council officials and crime prevention officers. The scheme is expected to be extended to smaller businesses and family-owned cafés.
Daniel Astaire, the council’s safety chief, said: “Some of the measures used in Café Watch, such as Chelsea Clips and reminding people to be vigilant, can seem relatively simple but can make all the difference.”