Thirteen arrested following Met crime crackdown in east London

Dear resident, 

The Met has arrested 13 people and recovered three stolen motorbikes as part of a crackdown on community crime in Redbridge and Havering.

  On Thursday, 12 March officers carried out patrols and stop and searches in anti-social behaviour hotspots and along key transport routes in Ilford and Havering.

  The operation is part of the Met’s continued focus on tackling neighbourhood crime, using precise intelligence and data to target the most prolific offenders in our communities.

  As a result of these tactics, neighbourhood offences have fallen by 12.7 per cent in Havering and 9.1 per cent in Redbridge, which includes Ilford, since April last year. This represents more than 1,000 fewer victims of crime across both boroughs.

Sergeant Aaron Harris, who led the Met’s operation, said:

“We understand that Londoners want to feel safe in their communities, which is why our officers are relentlessly focused on driving down local crime.

“By using precise intelligence, such as crime mapping and local knowledge, we identified key hotspots and deployed officers to target offenders.

“We will continue to run these operations to cut crime and provide a visible reassurance to the community.”

In total, 13 people were arrested for various offences, including handling stolen goods, drug offences and shoplifting. Most of have since been charged and either remanded or bailed to appear in court in the coming weeks. Officers carried out the following activity during the day of action:

  • Arrested five suspects in Harold Hill for shoplifting about £3,360 worth of goods

  • Conducted nine stop and searches, six of which resulted in enforcement action

  • Issued postal charges to two suspects for drug offences and a penalty notice to another for drug possession

  • Carried out drug tests on six suspects in custody, all of which were positive

  • Recovered three stolen motorbikes, along with a range of stolen goods, including clothing and electric toothbrushes

  • Provided first aid to a man in Harold Hill who was later taken to hospital

  The operation also focused on engaging with vulnerable members of the community and directing them to appropriate support services, including drugs and alcohol treatment.

   Met officers were supported by British Transport Police during the operation.