Newsletter No 10 - December 2017 
from Cllr Andrew Wood, Canary Wharf ward 

Dear all,

There were two separate ‘acid’ attacks on the Isle of Dogs on Wednesday evening 27^th December.
 
There have been no ‘acid’ attacks in Tower Hamlets since September 2017 and then two attacks 1 ½ hours apart both close to each other on the Isle of Dogs. The Police for now think they are separate attacks. There were rumours of a 3^rd attack but I think this maybe due to the changes in location of the attack (tbc).
 
1^st attack on a single white female woman using acid close to South Quay Tesco / DLR station at 18.50 hours. You may have seen this attack mentioned in the press. Serious burns to her face and legs. The victim then made her way to the Barkantine surgery on Westferry where the Police and Fire Brigade met her. This caused some confusion initially over the location as it was reported at first that she had been attacked on Westferry road. She had been on the CW estate earlier in the evening.

No ID on the attacker or why she was attacked. She is in hospital.

Tower Hamlets CID have primacy of this investigation. (Witnesses to contact DC BUSHELL, Bethnal Green CID on 0208 754 4550).
 
2^nd attack on an Asian male by two white men at 20.30 hours. Started on Glengall Grove close to the George pub but the actual attack was close to or in Crossharbour DLR. The police have decent CCTV images of these attackers. Described as “The suspects are believed to have gotten out of a Volkswagen car and are described as two White males aged 20 – 22 yrs old approx. F5”10 tall, one was dressed in a Grey hooded top with a baseball cap, the other was in a blue jacket with short beard”

They used an alkaline solution not acid and the victim has left hospital with no serious injuries.

British Transport Police have primacy of this investigation. (Witnesses to contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 Ref: 451 / 27Dec17 ).
 
I spoke to the investigating officer DCI Mike Hamer earlier today so some of this information comes from him and the attached OWL report (some of the location detail in the OWL report was updated by DCI Hamer, as incorrect). They are collecting CCTV images from both attacks.
 
Many 'acid' attacks do not actually use acid but other less dangerous but still nasty liquids.

WHAT TO DO
 
As a response to the two acid attacks and the ongoing (its seems) street robberies in Limehouse this is what you can do if you have 10-15 minutes this weekend
 
1. If you are the victim of an acid attack wash as quickly as possible with cool clean water but do not spray. Call 999. Remove clothing, jewellery etc that has been in contact with the acid first. Carry water with you (a good idea anyway). This is why robbers may use an acid like liquid as they know you will be too busy doing the above to protect your possessions. Many 'acid' attacks do not use acid but you wont know that until later. More information from the NHS here:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/acid-and-chemical-burns/

2. Fill in the ASB & Crime survey here, takes 3 minutes on average, at the end you will see an aggregate of what your neighbours thought. If you supply your email at the end I can add you to the crime and security email list for updates about police ward panels on the IoD. I have advertised this before.
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RJXQ6M5

3. Attend a drop in session in early January to discuss crime and security issues (follow on to two sessions I did a few weeks ago) with Tom Randall and myself and how we set up a new police ward panel for the Isle of Dogs

Canary Wharf Ideas Store Lab 1 - behind Waitrose, below Jamie's Italian restaurant by Barclays
Sat 6th January 2018 3pm to 5pm
Monday 8th January 2018 4pm to 6pm

Tom & I will organise in January public meetings to discuss how to work together as a community and how to set up a ward panel, details to follow

4. Want more CCTV & better lighting then tell them Council where to put them in their online map here
https://www.pclconsult.co.uk/projects/isle-of-dogs/
Will post more about this consultation this weekend

5. Get a personal attack alarm (see pictures below). The Council has some free to hand out but they only had 10 in the office when I went, will bring them with me to the Ideas store meetings to hand out (or email me your address and I will put in the post), there are more boxes on a Council vehicle (I asked the Council to make those available this morning).

You can also order something similar online from Ebay here. You can activate by pull cord, throw it onto the ground and run, the noise will likely distract your attackers and by being on the ground some distance away cannot be easily put out.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/202044502158…
Amazon has the same or just search for personal attack alarm police
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Defender-Purpose-Attack-Personal-Safety/dp/B01JLY5XUW

6. Self defence training - has been suggested by residents, will provide more information when I have some details but this website maybe worth a look
https://www.institute-kravmaga.co.uk/krav-maga-london-cl…/…/

7. Email the Mayor of Tower Hamlets at mayor@towerhamlets.gov.uk and let him know that security needs to be improved and that the 2018/19 budget to be discussed in January is the perfect opportunity to move resources into crime and safety and also ask for more CCTV and THEO's

Lastly keep your eyes open - one of my favourite sayings is to be 'situationally aware' 

Crime rates in the area are relatively speaking low compared to other parts of TH or London (one reason why we have less police then lets say Brick Lane area) but with police mainly located in Bethnal Green, even less CCTV and lots of places for people to hide or escape to you can never be sure and when I first heard reports of acid attacks I thought that must be wrong as it has been quiet for months but I was wrong.