As part of the Met’s continued fight against violence, we are supporting the latest national
phase of Operation Sceptre.
This week of action, running from Monday, 23 March to Sunday, 29 March, will see police forces around the country coordinating their efforts towards tackling knife crime.
Officers from across the Met will be deploying a range of enforcement and preventative tactics to reduce knife crime and wider violence in the capital.
There will be a focus on deterring and dealing with those who carry knives, by conducting intelligence-led stop and search, weapons sweeps and deploying knife arches in violence hot spots.
Officers will be infiltrating the places where violence occurs, and removing the most prolific high harm offenders and habitual knife carriers from our streets.
We know that drugs are inextricably linked to a high proportion of the violence in London and officers will continue to target those who exploit the most vulnerable individuals to peddle drugs through conducting a number of warrants.
Officers will also be engaging with businesses to ensure they have checks in place to prevent young people from buying knives in their stores.
Commander Jane Connors said: “During this difficult time of uncertainty and fear brought about by this pandemic, I’d like to reassure communities that London’s police service will continue to perform our primary function – to protect lives and prevent crime wherever we can.
“Officers from across the organisation in every borough are still absolutely committed to bearing down on violence and it’s our daily priority. Officers are using all of the tactics available to them – day and night – not just throughout this week of action.
“We’ve seen the devastating impact of knife crime, which is why it is so important to continue to deny criminals access to knives, deter them from carrying weapons in the first place and keep Londoners safe.”
We need to hear from anyone who has information about crime, those who carry a weapon, or those who exploit others 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/.
If you are worried about someone you suspect may be carrying a knife or other weapon, advice and support is also available through organisations including Knife Free https://www.knifefree.co.uk/get-help-support/ and Fearless: https://www.fearless.org/en.
