Police reveal “bank safe” initiative reduces crime

Metropolitan Police have said that “bank follow off” crime which sees criminals targeting vulnerable people as they leave banks has been reduced by 75% in Ealing.

Organised crime gangs across London including Ealing will go into a bank where a thief hangs around inside to identify victims who are then pickpocketed by their accomplices. According to the Met up to 66% of victims are over 60-years-old.

A police initiative known as “Bank Safe” to counter the criminals has been deployed since 2022 with local police offices patrolling around banks to raise awareness of the issue while also identifying offenders and arresting them.

Police Sergeant David James, who leads the Bank Safe project for the Met said: “Distraction theft is a very personal crime that often has life-changing impacts on victims. In most cases, victims do not know they have been targeted and tend to blame themselves for losing their hard earned cash.

“Police operations such as Bank Safe will aid in targeting these organised crime gangs and remove them from the streets of London. Since the start of the operation, we have seen a decrease in some boroughs and intend to work towards a further reduction.

Catriona Still, head of fraud prevention & training at the dedicated card and payment crime unit (DCPCU) said: “The DCPCU have been working hard to combat branch follow off crime and have trained over 400 branch employees in high risk areas across the UK in the past 12 months alone.

“The joint collaboration between the DCPCU and Met Police has prevented customers from having significant values of cash stolen from them.”

John McGeachy, Age UK London said: “With older people more likely to bank in person than other age groups, it’s particularly insidious to target them in this way as they leave the bank with their cash. Being a victim of this, or any other type of crime can have serious consequences for people’s confidence and mental health. We welcome the police’s efforts to stamp down on this crime and ensure people can bank with confidence and in safety.”

Police are advising anyone who is a victim or witness to report a theft as soon as it happens and contact them by dialling 101 or 999 in an emergency.