Shomrim volunteers honoured for bravery in apprehending armed robber

Three Shomrim volunteers in north-west London have been honoured by police chiefs for bravery in assisting with an armed robbery.

Barnet Borough Commander, Detective Chief Superintendent Simon Rose, paid tribute to the men after they helped apprehend two suspects who were found to be carrying knives.

Rose handed them personal letters in which he said they had been “instrumental” in the incident. The volunteers first identified the male suspects by providing full descriptions to the police, and followed the two men until police officers arrived.

“I understand that when police approached the males they ran off in different directions and you then further assisted police by chasing after the suspects they were unable to follow,” wrote Rose.

“You detained one of the males and kept him there until further police arrived. Your actions meant that two suspects were arrested for robbery and when officers searched them they were found in possession of knives.”

Rose added: “At a time when so many people are willing to turn away from helping others you took that brave step to assist where you could. Thank you for your assistance. I am proud to have you as a member of the community.”

Gary Ost of Shomrim North-West London said: “With knife crime at unprecedented levels, our volunteers are on the streets confronting and catching the criminals who prey on Londoners.

“Our neighbourhood watch patrols are already recognised as the gold standard in community crime prevention, and I am proud that our volunteers’ selflessness and exceptional bravery has now been recognised too.”

Inspector Moseley said: “As the community Inspector for Barnet it was my pleasure to recognise community spirited actions. Organisations such as Shomrim NW provide an extra layer of protection for the community and it is only right that their actions are applauded. In this instance the volunteers assisted in identifying suspects that had committed a knife enabled robbery. Each volunteer was furnished with a letter of thanks from Detective Chief Superintendent Rose. Borough Commander for North West”.