East London News A Force for the community…
WITH THE headlines all too often full of bad news about people, often young people, stabbed to death, the Metropolitan Police have this week taken a welcome step to reduce knife crime levels.
In a new approach, Met police have organised a multi-layered operation to retrieve knives – and deal with those who use them.
The main part of the approach was to bring together information from across all the police record system to identify those who have committed knife crime and pose the highest risk of repeat offending. This approach is similar to one used recently to apprehend offenders most likely to commit further violent offences against women and girls. The intelligence was followed up: leading to 88 arrests.
In addition, officers targeted known gang members and patrolled, in uniform and in plain clothes, in areas known as violent crime hotpots. Stop and search was also used in this operation, with 77 stops leading to knives being recovered and arrests being made.
Finally, there were weapon sweeps and people selling knives, in person or online, were also targeted. Test purchases were carried out in 72 shops to identify where illegal knives were being sold or knives were being sold to under-age customers.
Commander James Conway, the Met’s frontline policing lead, said, “By being proactive and directing our resources at those who pose the greatest risk, we have driven knife-enabled crime down by 17% in a year. We’re not complacent and are determined to reduce it even further.
“Too often we see the devastating impact of senseless violence involving knives, including the impact it has not just on families who lose loved ones but on entire communities. Every knife removed and every suspect arrested has the potential to prevent serious harm or save a life.”
●Anyone who has information about someone possessing a knife or using it is encouraged to help keep the community safe by reporting it. Phone the police on 101. Alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800-555 111, You do not need to give your name and your call will be confidential.
●Read more about it:
Three men charged with murder after Leyton stabbing
Teen charged with Hackney murder
