Robbery Suspect arrested Friday, 14th November 2025 in Barking Town Centre

PCSO Miller was on patrol in Barking Town Centre when he came across a robbery in progress.  Quick thinking by PCSO Miller led to victim being safeguarded and a chase ensued with suspects, leading to one suspect being detained and arrested.  The suspect was taken to custody and enquiries for 2nd suspect are ongoing.  The detention of the suspect was by PCSO Miller whose quick thinking and actions enabled the property of the victim to also be recovered - a mobile phone.  PCSO Miler was supported by PC Little and PC Akach and the rest of the Barking Town Centre team under the leadership of PS Kent.

PCSO Stow and officers from Barking Town Centre then supported and provided victim care to victim who although impacted by the robbery remained physically unharmed.

Enquiries in relation to the investigation and suspects continues and further action for the suspect will result in a referral to Community MARAC which is a safeguarding meeting to see what interventions in meantime can be provided to prevent and deter the suspect from engaging in any further incidents of note and to consider any factors leading the suspect to commit offences like Robbery in the first place.  In addition the use of a CPW will be issued to ensure the anti-social behaviour element of the incident are addressed too.

This is just one of many good pieces of work by the team over last few weeks that continues to be undertaken across West Cluster Wards - Eastbury, Gascoigne, Longbridge, Abbey and Northbury.

There has also been a number of operations over last few weeks tackling retail crime and a prolific offender linked to retail was arrested, served with Community Protection Notice with conditions and in custody for 52 weeks. Work on a criminal behaviour order is under way, and further repeat offenders intent on committing criminal harm in and around Barking Town centre and surrounding wards is ongoing, with the success by the Neighbourhood Team for Abbey and Gascoigne securing a closure order for Ice House.  Further work on key individuals linked to crime and anti social behavior sees the team conducting visible and plain clothes operations and working on a further criminal behaviour order jointly with the local authority to target a repeat offender within the locality currently.    The individual has received a Community Protection Notice with conditions and police with local authority continue to monitor for any breaches which can render any individual in receipt of a CPN to arrest and progression onto a Criminal Behaviour Order.

The teams have also undertaken various quarterly ward panels and we are currently looking for a ward panel chair for both Abbey and Northbury Wards.  If you are interested please do email me on carroll.l.weeden@met.police.uk.  I'm keen to ensure we capture the voice of the local community and a Chair and deputy Chair are currently sought. If you believe this would be a role for you please do let me know and we can put that to the panel vote (by the community at our next Panels in February 2026).

We also have one of our Ward Panel Chairs Diane Worbey of Longbridge Ward lead on Neighbourhood Watch.  If you would like further details of this scheme then please do contact your local ward team and or myself and I can put you in touch with them.

The team will be conducting various stalls across the wards as part of our 16 days of activism linked to tackling issues of violence against women and girls in December 2025.  Further events will be advertised.  There is also a women's forum online that local authority oversee and if you are interested again please contact myself and or your local ward councillor or Barking and Dagenham Council on the website for further information, with the next scheduled for this week.

Our local Community Roadshow was a success seeing Assistant Commissioner Twist attend along side Supt Premnath and CI Mo Mahmood. There was great support from local community with large numbers in attendance including local ward councillors and leaders from local authority Barking and Dagenham council.  There was further support from Be Heard as One a charity working as part of a consortium with West Ham United Football Club Foundation and also New Path a youth diversionary scheme part of West Ham Football Foundation also present just some of the amazing stalls accessible on the day.

Finally, we utilise community payback teams and are working with park ranger teams in various open spaces, along with joint patrols with the Community Safety Enforcement Teams regularly in and around open spaces and Barking Town Centre.

There are some further operations and deployments throughout winter and you will see officers on patrol including support from our colleagues from East Area Safer Transport Teams on bus routes and British Transport Police at Barking Station and District mainlines over the Winter period.

Operations targeting Robbery and Theft Person under OP Sorbie, Retail crime under Op Retail and OP Martello targeting violent crime and youth related incidents will continue in and around Barking Town Centre, Barking Park and see further patrols after school time in key schools across West Cluster Wards.

I wish you a good week ahead and wanted to share some good news and updates on what we are doing so far.

Inspector Carroll Weeden - West Cluster