After Dark Ambushes
Criminality around London's high end social spots
“I am more afraid of our own blunders than of the enemy's devices.”
Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War
It's easy to associate night time or even, the hours when it get's dark, with heightened criminal activity. Various crime studies also show the correlation between quiet, poorly lit areas and street crimes, such as muggings and assault.
Security advisers, self-defence instructors and concerned parents will share with dogmatic conviction, the engraved on the slate, safety fundamentals. Try to avoid rough neighbourhoods, chose your routes carefully, keep your awareness up when moving about the city; don't park in poorly lit areas.
All valid and useful but increasingly, in various cities around Europe, especially London, individuals are being targeted all over the place, and at various hours of the day.
Even in the early hours and in the affluent areas, we hear of street crime taking place. When crimes do happen after dark, it's not just in rough urban neighbourhoods, where muggings and assaults occur.
In London, it's becoming all too common, to hear of people getting their bag, phone or wallet swiped out of their hands, in what would be considered generally, as nice areas.
Then, after dark, in wealthy areas with expensive social venues, restaurants and clubs, there’s various nocturnal criminal activity going on....
Night time hot spots
It's not hard to figure out why criminals target wealthy areas with people wandering about, sporting attention grabbing valuables.
The thing is though, in expensive areas of London, such as Mayfair, where it's bustling with people and there's a security presence, from on the door venue security and close protection teams to private security patrols and CCTV, people tend to drop their guard.
In many cases, some are completely oblivious to the fact that their on display valuables, along with other factors, make them a prime target for opportunistic muggers or more organised gangs, with pre-emptive menacing mechanisms in place, to ambush the unassuming.
My security associates and I hear about all kinds of crimes that have taken place and we have to keep up to date with new trends and tactics.
There are wider groups of criminality within the city. Some gangs have expanded their crime networks and connections. New parties get drawn into London and the UK generally. This is why a large percentage of the general, law abiding population feel frustrated, worried and disheartened.
Some of the crimes taking place go beyond the all too common phone snatching. There are individuals specifically targeted for their expensive watch, usually by revved up and aggressive groups of muggers.
There have been actual ambush and abduct cases where people (usually targeted upon leaving the lively social venues), have been forced into vehicles and driven around. They are then threatened with violence if they don't hand over their valuables, or even in some cases transfer crypto currencies.
The vulnerable corridor
Then, there are predatory scenarios, where a woman gets targeted, as she leaves a venue. The individual making the approach may start off with friendly, overly familiar charm, only to regress to more intimidating demands and body contact.
In some cases, they may be acting as part of a group, with others close, by in a vehicle. There may also have been previous interaction, within the venue.
Here drink spiking is a serious danger to watch out for. Or they may simply try to use alcohol to weaken the victim's sense of discernment.
Other incidents have involved people being followed, as they walk further down the street, perhaps to try and get a black cab; or whilst they head to the tube or another venue.
Some aggressors may follow their target, perhaps aiming to ambush them once they are in a less public street, or away from club security.
Others, however, can be really quite brash and not afraid to try a sudden mugging, close to the venue. Often, they do this, knowing they can make a quick getaway using vehicles.
Something, I often discuss in more detail, in urban awareness courses, is how gangs will sometimes use on the move spotters. A gang could also have someone dwelling in the venue, relaying details and the movements of inviting targets.
They will look to see who is showing visible signs of having wealth, or behaviour that shows they could be naive and trying to impress. Then, they will also look to target younger, less aware individuals, or those who have reduced awareness, due to alcohol or recreational substances.
Be aware that some of these high end bars, restaurants and clubs also draw in criminals, or those with a street aggressive temperament, along with drug dealers and opportunistic fraudsters.
Some aggressors may just go to these flash, to be seen at venues, to have fun, show off brands and see who they can interact with, but they can still be aggressive.
They can be ready to start a fight due to some kind or argument or dispute, in the venue or again, when leaving. There are all kinds of reasons why they may confront or show antagonist readiness, to others.
Triggers and ambush tactics
In training, we will look at some of the behavioral and verbal triggers than can lead to confrontations involving physical violence.
Also, once a person is better at reading some of the signs that convey a group’s potential for trouble, it becomes easier to create space and distance. Sometimes, the hostility occurs, often at the end of the evening, as people are more under the influence of alcohol.
This is when there's more bravado. As a result, judgement gets compromised. In the brawl type of scenario, even the person, who later ends up being the victim of the assault, may have unintentionally contributed, through the use of provocative dialogue, or a readiness to stay and argue.
Often, it’s because they lack awareness of some of the street nuances and aggression triggers. They fail to realise that sadly, some people are all too ready to use violence very suddenly.
It’s also good from a personal safety and awareness perspective, to develop and understanding of how some of these gangs initiate ambush tactics. The way they use certain angles to close in or use their vehicles to perch and then launch a sudden approach.
Sometimes, they will observe carefully from the vehicle to see who looks vulnerable. If someone looks aloof, the crims know they’ve got the added element of surprise. Shock tactics are more likely to allow them to get the valuables and disappear.
Other gangs will literally cruise through Mayfair, The West End or Knightsbridge, scanning for unassuming targets, whilst on the move. They will use suddenness and timing to commit the crime.
Tourists and foreign visitors may sometimes make for easier targets, due to their unfamiliarity with this type of crime and the areas it can occur.
Awareness is an attribute to keep refining and polishing
Something else I will say when doing courses and in the many articles I’ve written, over the years, awareness is an indepth craft to be studied.
There are ways to really understand it and wield it, in interesting ways. It can also be an attribute that we need to hone and keep sharp.
Every now again, there will be someone who claims that all that awareness stuff surely it just common sense- yawn…but as a number of security operatives I’ve worked with over the years, have also conveyed- awareness is something that should be trained and understood, in diverse ways.
Even if some aspects of awareness are common sense, there is the human error factor. People can drop their guard…
Returning to the quote at the start, by wise Thucydides- our own blunders here can certainly include assumptions about crime only taking place in run down areas.
Sometimes, a person can be on holiday or a business trip to a foreign city and due to having a few days, where everything feels calm and people are friendly, they drop their guard, especially regarding personal possessions.
Or, they may just wonder into a problematic situation, with a sudden lowering of awareness.
There are other elements in regards to how we sense what happens in our environment that need to be taught and developed.
Our awareness has a charge, and like a phone battery when low, performance is reduced.
There are fascinating ways we can explore awareness from a security perspective. Something else that has provided a significant awareness edge are the internal exercises, contained with some of the deeper martial arts, I’ve been able to share with my clients.
Even some of the more physical arts- with their various survival tactics and skirmish drills can, on some level, heighten awareness.
Certainly though, the internal practises that foster relaxation, whilst also anchoring us to the alive, ever unfolding moment, are powerful. That's why, I feel inspired to share them with those who train with me.
You can see awareness as being like that warrior's blade. The warrior keeps his blade with him, ready for when needed. He keeps it sharp; he keeps it polished. He wields it with poise and prowess. He becomes one with it...
Aran
About the author:
Based in London, Aran Dharmeratnam is the founder of Tri-Tier. He specialises in risk reduction and self-protection training, often working with high profile figures and their families. With experience in various areas of the security sector, Aran also works with global security companies involved in private investigations and strategic intelligence. He’s been deployed on the ground, in numerous cases. Aran’s insights have appeared in The Financial Times, The Spectator, LBC, Aviation Security International, and Security Management Today.
For consultations or training contact: office@tri-tier.com