Metropolitan Police

Making London safer. After a year of investigative work, officers in East London have taken down a violent gang responsible for 35 robberies, protecting local businesses and residents. We're working with communities to fight crime and make a our streets safer.

We’re committed to making sure people in mental health crises get the right help. We work with health and social care professionals so that those in need are supported by the right people. We invited mental health advocate, Antonio Ferreira to join response team in South London to see how officers handle urgent 999 calls and support people experiencing a mental health crisis. #MentalHealthMatters #WorldMentalHealthDay

Unarmed officers praised for apprehending a violent suspect who attempted to murder two members of the public Two officers in Waltham Forest have been commended for their unwavering courage after they pursued a man armed with a sledgehammer into a shop on Leyton High Street. PCs Aaron Prayter and Alfie Challis were responding to a 999 call after a man entered a Tyre Fitting shop on Midland Road and stole a sledgehammer. CCTV then showed him walking up to another man and threatening him with the weapon, before punching him in the face and knocking him unconscious. Whilst on the ground the violent attacker repeatedly stamped on the victim's head and stole his bag. When the officers arrived, PC Prayter helped provide first aid to the victim whilst PC Challis searched the area. A member of the public pointed PC Challis towards the supermarket. Looking inside, there were signs of a struggle so PC Challis called for assistance from PC Prayter. Together, both officers entered the shop, where they heard the shop owner pleading for help. Not knowing what they were going to be faced with when they moved further into the shop, PCs Prayter and Challis found the suspect on the floor with his hands around the shopkeeper's neck. They managed to distract the suspect enough so he let go of his victim. Body worn video shows the shopkeeper gasping for air and thanking the officers for saving his life. The officers arrested the violent offender for attempted murder and robbery. The two unarmed officers courageously intervened, with no thought for themselves, to subdue this armed suspect and protect the innocent shopkeeper. Last year, the violent offender was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order. Both victims, whilst subject to horrific attacks were taken to hospital where they both survived, in no small part due to the actions of the officers.

A gang of car thieves who stole a vehicle whilst the owner's three-year-old child was still inside have been jailed. Following a complex investigation, detectives uncovered a sophisticated crime operation where over £1.8million worth of cars were stolen using a keyless theft device disguised as a Gameboy. Cars were stolen from across Barnet, Enfield, Redbridge, Waltham Forest, Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Newham using the device that allowed them to quickly open the targeted vehicles and start them. The thefts could take seconds and looked no different to a person opening the car with a key. The investigation into the group first began in January 2022 when officers discovered that a series of car thefts in North London were linked. Working closely with the DVLA and other forces around the UK, officers were able to reveal the true extent of the offending that had taken place. In 2021, the leaders - Alfie Brown and Andre Clarke - were linked to the theft of a Volvo in the Chigwell area. The vehicle was stolen whilst the owner's three-year-old child was inside. When the pair realised what they had done, they came to a sudden stop which left the child with minor injuries. They subsequently abandoned the car with the child still inside. Officer's established that the purchasers would meet Brown or Clarke when purchasing the vehicles and pretending to be car dealers, even providing fake invoices and service history documents. These sales uncovered the extensive network of money launderers used by the group. The group were able to evade detection for so long by successfully cloning number plates and vehicle log documents, committing fraud against the DVLA, which made the selling of the vehicles appear even more legitimate. DC Dave Van Der Valk, from the Met’s Specialist Crime North team who led the investigation, said: “Thanks to the hard work and perseverance of highly skilled officers in the Met, we have been able to disrupt a sophisticated crime operation.” “There were two layers of victims in this case - those who had their cars stolen and those who bought the stolen cars. Those who bought the stolen cars without realising were truly the most affected as they did not receive any compensation from insurance companies which meant there were 170 victims affected by the heartless behaviour of the group.” “This verdict and lengthy two-year investigation that led to it, demonstrate that we’ll leave no stone unturned in our pursuit to catch criminals who look to enjoy the proceeds of illicit funds – no matter how complex the case.”

A failed cartel-logue! The self-proclaimed 'Pablo Escobar' of East London has been sentenced to nine-and-a-half years for the supply of Class A drugs. The East London drug dealer concealed over £600,000 through his business accounts. Thanks to the hard work and diligence by Met detectives, Ahmed has been brought to justice, and off the streets of London.

The DIVERT intervention programme has changed the lives of over 5,000 young people arrested for the possession of knives and weapons.  Independent youth workers offer coaching that diverts them away from offending and into education, training, and employment. A special thanks to Arsenal F.C, Millwall Football Club, Palace for Life Foundation , Bounce Back Project, The New Era Foundation, ODC Studio and London's Violence Reduction Unit who fund the scheme.  Superintendent Jack Rowlands, who started Divert, said: “The Police officers and staff working in custody see the benefit of this intervention in helping to break the cycle of re-offending and violence. I am so grateful to all the partners who work on the project and fund this crucial intervention.”

Earlier this week, we unveiled a memorial for Sergeant Matt Ratana who was tragically murdered in the line of duty four years ago. Today marks National Police Memorial day, which is a time for us to honour officers like Matt, who have demonstrated immense bravery to protect others and make their communities a safer place. Their courage and service will never be forgotten 💙

Two brazen thieves have been found guilty, after committing a string of four robberies in 30 minutes Officers pursued two teenagers after they received a 999 call about a rough sleeper being assaulted near Croydon Library. During the chase, one of the suspects discarded a knife before being arrested, which was later recovered. The second fled the scene but left behind a second knife, his coat and his rucksack. Once they identified the teenager in custody, detectives looked through robbery reports made on the day of the incident and days prior. They uncovered seven more crimes committed by the duo, four of which were committed on the same day. As the detectives delved further into their crimes, police received a call from a young man claiming to have been robbed of his coat at knife point. This was later proved false, with the call being made inside Bromley Police Station. When checking CCTV, detectives were able to match the young man making the claim to the second suspect, who fled the scene at Croydon Library. When reviewing his phone data, he had been in frequent contact with the teenager who was already in custody. A short while after the spree of robberies, detectives arrested the second teenager at his home address and seized the clothing linking him to the crimes. Both teenagers pleaded guilty to counts of robbery, counts of attempted robbery and grievous bodily harm. After listening to community concerns around pick pocketing, robbery and theft, detectives in Croydon are intensifying efforts to tackle these issues head on and take more criminals off the streets.

"Let’s not wait for a riot to have another meeting like this. Let’s have dialogues like this on a regular basis". Last week, members of the Muslim and Jewish communities in #Haringey were given a space to tell us what needs to be done to help them feel safe. We listened to first-hand experiences and concerns following the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, the subsequent conflict in Gaza, and the impact on communities here in London. The discussions of the evening demonstrated the value of partnerships in tackling shared challenges. We will continue to work in partnership with these communities to improve safety and act on concerns. Thank you to Haringey Council, The Peace Alliance UK, Bibi Khan MBE, Reverend Nims Obunge MBE and others who attended for this reflection.

The Children’s Strategy is our pledge to work better with our safeguarding partners and with children, to see the ‘child first’ and adapt our response to recognise their needs. To mark the launch of the strategy, a range of partners, stakeholders and children attended an event at New Scotland Yard where they had the opportunity to hear first hand how we plan on implementing the strategy. We will keep children in London safe, build their trust and bring to justice those who abuse and exploit them. https://lnkd.in/evuZJS_E