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Click here for the list of licensed minicab operators in Hammersmith or call 0207 222 1234 The Sapphire Web site Sapphire Hammersmith & Fulham Based at Fulham Police Station Heckfield Place Fulham SW6 5NL 020 8246 2828 In the case of an emergency please dial 999 |
The
dangers of getting into illegal minicabs In the past 12 months 214 women were sexually assaulted after getting into illegal minicabs - those that tout for trade on the street - according to figures released by the Metropolitan Police. The 'Know What You're Getting Into' campaign warning Londoners about the dangers of getting into illegal minicabs has been produced by the Mayor, the MPS and the City of London Police and will go up on poster sites and in pubs and clubs right across the capital. Crucially the campaign is just one part of an integrated action plan that not only highlights the risks but also the safer alternatives. Officers from Project Sapphire at the Metropolitan Police, the team responsible for improving victim care and investigation of sexual offences, have been gathering intelligence on assaults in illegal minicabs since a Met report last year highlighted the number of attacks. Figures show that in nearly 50% of cases the victims were aged 24 or under and 91% of victims aged 35 or under. On average there have been 18 assaults a month, including an average of 4.5 rapes. DAC Tim Godwin, Head of Territorial Policing for the Metropolitan Police said: 'We are particularly concerned that there may be people purporting to be minicab drivers as a deliberate ploy to drive around central London at night to target victims and carry out sexual assaults. I would urge women to take the advice in the adverts. Know what you are getting into - and don't take the risk of getting into a car belonging to a complete stranger. Officers from the Met's Sapphire team and from City of London Police are issuing the following advice to women using taxis at night: Always get a black cab or pre-book a car through a licensed minicab operator. Carry the phone number of a minicab company you've used before and trust. Check that the minicab you ordered is the one you get into. Check that the driver has been given your name and destination by his operator. Always sit in the back and carry a mobile phone. If you have a problem with the driver of a black cab, make a note of the number on the white plate inside the cab and report it to police or the Public Carriage office. If you have a problem with a minicab driver remember the car's make and number and report it to the Police. |