Keep your belongings safe in the Furzedown area by Simona Valeva, Graveney School

Graveney School in South West London is being attacked by dangerous individuals in search of possessions such as phones, headphones, and other valuables. From the week beginning 10th of October, there have been several victims of these robbers, many of whom are Graveney School Sixth Form students. One of these victims was even threatened with a knife if they didn’t hand over their phone.

This has been a huge shock to the Furzedown locals as well as the students attending Graveney School, as they are afraid they might be the criminals’ next victims.

This raises the question, especially due to London’s constant rise in knife crime incidents, how do we protect ourselves from these types of unfortunate situations? Graveney School has issued several tips on how to protect yourself against criminals who seek your valuables to Sixth Form students, who are the only students in Graveney School allowed to carry a phone with them. These tips include not bringing a phone to school in the first place, travelling with others to and from school, not texting while walking, and many more. The school has also issued a letter to parents informing them of the recent increase in police presence after school to ensure students get home safely; ‘We are continuing to work closely with the police on the recent state of muggings…We are also continuing to provide additional security in the areas closest to Welham Road at the end of the school day.’

Will this advice prove helpful when faced with such dangerous and potentially life-threatening situations? That is what many Graveney School Sixth Formers are wondering.
One student I interviewed mentioned the way they feel about this ongoing situation; ‘I feel threatened by the recent muggings in the area and I am taking the necessary precautions to protect myself as well as informing my friends about ways they can defend themselves.’

Despite the panic these incidents have induced in the Furzedown area, I, as well as many other Graveney school students, hope that this situation is soon resolved and that there aren’t any further robberies.