A proactive ANPR operation to bear down on violence as part of Winter Nights activity has resulted in 75 arrests.
The enforcement activity, called Operation Pandilla, took place from Tuesday, 1 to Thursday, 3 December. Partnership working allowed seven police forces to collectively disrupt county lines activity to reduce gang, drug and weapon based violence.
The Violent Crime Taskforce led the efforts across London and were supported by the Violence Suppression Units, Met Intelligence, Operation Venice, Dog Support Unit and Roads and Transport Policing Command, as well as Specialist Crime officers.
The Met worked alongside six other police forces; City of London; Surrey; Kent; Hertfordshire; Thames Valley and British Transport Police.
Officers utilised Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and intelligence to target vehicles linked to violent crime.
The operation resulted in:
– 75 arrests for offences including: attempted murder, possession with intent to supply class A and B drugs, possession of offensive weapons, possession of firearms, assault and possession of criminal property.
– 18 knives/weapons recovered.
– 8 vehicles seized
– 25 illegal items, such as drugs, seized
-1 firearm seized
-20 referrals to diversion scheme Bounce Back – All of the individuals referred are being supported by coaches and have actions plans in place with a view to getting them into employment, education and training.
In one instance, on Tuesday, 1 December, officers’ attention was drawn to a vehicle parked on Hillcrest Road, W5. The engine was running and there was a strong smell of cannabis coming from the car. Officers approached the car and searched the two occupants, they seized class B drugs and found a knife concealed inside the car. One of the men was arrested for possession of an offensive weapon and taken into custody.
In addition to ANPR work, officers were also on proactive patrol on the lookout for suspicious activity and criminality. On one occasion, on Thursday, 3 December in SE14, officers saw a moped drive through a no entry sign after driving erratically. The male rider was stopped but then ran off on foot. Officers chased after him and detained in him handcuffs, they went on to find class B drugs and a large knife. He was charged with possession of a pointed and bladed article, possession of cannabis and no insurance.
Chief Inspector Jack May-Robinson from the Violent Crime Taskforce said: “The results of Op Pandilla display the Met’s determination to reduce violent crime across London and give opportunities to those on the periphery of violence to divert down a different path and learn skills for life. The individuals who were referred to the schemes will have the chance and support to make better choices in life, ultimately breaking the cycle of violence and crime.
“Some of the people arrested are extremely violent and this criminal behaviour causes destruction among communities. There is no place for drug dealing and weapons on our streets and this proactive work enables us to stop criminals in their tracks.
“We ran the first Operation Pandilla back in September with huge success. The power of partnership working means we can strengthen our efforts to keep the public safe and deter criminals from committing acts of violence.”
Winter Nights is an amplified effort to tackle violence and robbery across London in the run up to Christmas and runs until 3 January.
City of London Police made seven arrests for offences such as money laundering, drugs possession, offensive weapons & drug driving. Chief Inspector Mitch Carr, of the City of London Police, said: “The first operation in September to tackle county lines gangs and disrupt the wider, organised and violent crime they facilitate, was very successful. So this month we were keen to team up with partner forces again, including the Metropolitan Police Service.
“We’re pleased that this second operation produced similarly good results, with several arrests, as well as drugs and weapons being seized. As we saw in the first operation, these types of gangs continue to operate, despite the national pandemic, and so we must continue to be resolute in our ongoing effort to combat it.”
+ Communities also have a vital role to play in tackling violent crime and we urge anyone who may have information to tell us, so that we can tackle violence together. We need information about crime or those who carry a weapon, or those that exploit people for gain or revenge, while putting young people’s lives at risk. Community intelligence can be used to great effect to not only detect, but also prevent crime, keep London safe and save young lives.
If you don’t want to speak to the police, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. They are a totally independent charity and you remain 100 per cent anonymous, they never ask your name and they cannot trace your call, your IP address or device you use. Alternatively, visit their website https://crimestoppers-uk.org/.
= ANPR is a camera linked to a computer. When a vehicle passes the camera it captures the registration plate.
It is used in day to day policing to stop vehicles of interest, for example driving with no insurance or owned by a person wanted by police. It is also used to gather information and intelligence and can help with investigations into travelling criminals and organised crime.
Officers were proactively patrolling on arterial routes with ANPR computers built in their cars, allowing them to scan several vehicles at once.
