Oxford: Summer advice for tourists

25 June 2012, 15:00 | Updated: 25 June 2012, 15:44

Thames Valley Police are preparing to launch their 3rd annual crackdown on street robbery.

Operation Buzzard aims to tackle street robbery in Oxford during the summer and it begins this weekend. 

Each summer, the city of Oxford sees an influx of tourists and students. During this time, Thames Valley Police (TVP) say for a very small number of visitors, their experience may be ruined by victim or robbery.

This is the third year the Police in Oxford have run this operation to crack down on street robbery - cutting the number of incidents by a third on the previous year - to it's best ever record.

This year, TVP will be placing patrols in robbery hotspot areas using specialist units and will work alongside Park Rangers, Council staff and University security patrols.

Detective Inspector Paul Miller told Heart: "I would like to stress Oxford is a safe place to visit during the summer, but sometimes residents, visitors are vulnerable to crime and become a target for opportunist offenders."

TVP Crime Reduction Officer Belinda Hopkins also spoke to Heart: "We want to make sure people are aware of the steps they can take to avoid being a victim of crime. It is important to avoid using your mobile phone in public, walking home alone at night, taking short cuts and wearing headphones."

Belinda added: "You should stay in well lit areas and if you feel threatened you should make your way into a public place to raise the alarm. What we don't want to do is to frighten people. Oxford is a safe play to live and visit but by taking these simple steps you can can avoid becoming a victim of crime."

Detective Sergeant Pauline Helibron from the Oxford Robbery Team told Heart: "This is a busy time for everyone including Oxford residents. My team will continue to target robbery robustly and bring these offenders to justice. The team includes officers in high-visibility roles, plain clothed officers and detectives. 

DS Helibron added: "I am aware of the anti-social behaviour issues around some of Oxford's park areas. We are running Operation Buzzard in conjunction with Operation Brush which tackles anti-social behaviour in the parks. The neighbourhood police teams are committed to tackling these issues as well as little problems and under age alcohol problems."