Walk On By?
If you witness a crime should you step in or walk away?
A new charity says the only way to reduce violent crime is to teach people how to be good witnesses. It even wants mock muggings to be staged across the UK to test the public's willingness to aid victims and report crimes. The charity's called Witness Confident and it says it wants to challenge a "walk-on-by" culture to street crime.
So have you ever witnessed a crime and what did you do? If you've been a "have-a-go hero", what did it achieve? Did you save the day or end up the victim of crime yourself? Did you regret your actions after the event?
Maybe you're the kind of person who just walks in the opposite direction at the first sign of trouble - does your conscience trouble you afterwards or is self-preservation the most important thing? Or does whether you intervene or not depend on the circumstances?
From 9 on the Phone-in Nicky wants to hear your stories. Text 85058, email breakfast@bbc.co.uk or post a message here.
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I've unfortunately been mugged twice. I would say that the best thing to do is to keep as calm as possible remain talking to them to let them know your a living breathing human. The muggers had a knife so it is definitely not worth fighting. If you see a mugging taking place I would shout and try and distract but not do anything more than that as you will run a big risk of being knifed.
Just a note the police said that unless I could absolutely identify the muggers then no action would be taken. Bear in mind this took place at night and they were wearing hoods. I consider this to be an allowance of crime on the local (lewisham) police stations part.
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I would really love this phone in show to be on the red button because it would be good to see the facial expressions of Nicky Campbell. He sounds so patronising talking to these some of the people contributing this morning, there isn't an ounce of vocal sincerity in his voice when he congratulates those who have had a go at intervening.
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I witnessed a mugging a few months ago. I chased the guy through the car park, and got a pretty good look at him. Im just waiting to see if I have to go to court as a witness. Didn't think, just acted. I'd like to think I would do the same again.
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I hate crime and criminals.
Especially those in expensive suits.
I'll stand up and help anybody in danger, even if I'm risking my life.
I just can't find it in me to pick up the phone and report a fellow human being for dropping a chewing gum on the street, because even though some crafty git was given power to enforce penalties on just about anything we might be doing, I have trouble agreeing with rules made up by mortgage flipping MPs.
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Apparently, talking errant nonsense works. Derren Brown related in interview how he'd been mugged and calmly said, "I went to Spain for my holidays this year." He followed the muggers, "Eh...?" with "The walls in Spain are taller than the walls here." By then the mugger was baffled, confused and aware that he'd been stood in the street with a knife and his face in full view of passers-by and CCTV for far too long, so he legged it.
It's surely just a perception caused by sensationalist media but one could be forgiven for thinking the police has a "walk on by" attitude sometimes.
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I witnessed a mugging and out of a group of people I was the only one that called the police!
Bodybuilding forum
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I had the same experience pjorstad2. No one called the cops except me. I found that weird and shocking.
funny stuff
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