British police have arrested more than 170 people in a three-day crackdown aimed at keeping drugs and weapons off the streets.
According to the Metropolitan Police Department, more than 1,200 officers from multiple police units participated in the January 17-19 operation, resulting in 179 arrests, 30 recoveries of knives and other weapons, 40 seizures of narcotics, and 66 arrests. of vehicles and seized cash worth a total of £5,700.
The Metropolitan Police have spearheaded the operation, working with the Thames Valley, Hertfordshire, Surrey, Sussex, West Midlands and British Transport Police to “use the highway and rail networks as a means for criminals to carry arms and drugs in the capital.” and to surrounding counties.”
Operation Pandira targeted vehicles linked to violent crime using automatic license plate recognition and intelligence, focusing on the main roads and highways in and around London, including the M25, A406, M1 and A40. London Metropolitan Police said on Tuesday.
joint operation
Superintendent Emma Gurchinski said:
“Tackling violent crime continues to be a priority for Metropolitan Airlines, with this operation working closely together to crack down on those who use our transportation network to facilitate criminal activity, from Birmingham to the South Coast.
“Removing drugs and weapons from the streets is paramount to keeping London and the county’s armed forces safe, but it is equally important to protect vulnerable people at risk of violence.
“Some of those arrested exploit children and vulnerable people to further crime. We are working with partners to identify those at risk of exploitation and We remain committed to providing the comprehensive support they need.”
The crackdown comes just weeks after the MET announced it had arrested about 1,700 suspects in London in a six-week investigation, including violent offenders, drug dealers and sex offenders. That’s it.
As part of Operation Yamata, a line-handling offshoot of the military county, officers prosecuted high-risk sex offenders who had been on the run for over four years and closed 27 drug lines in a week.
drastic reform
This is a sweeping plan by Sir Mark Rowley, the new Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, to reform London’s police, including creating a data-driven list of tens of thousands of violent looters and strengthening neighborhood police. After outlining the
The reform plan was adopted after a rigorous overhaul of disciplinary procedures by Baroness Casey found officers and staff immune to misconduct and breaking the law.
Lowry, who became commissioner of the Met last September, said on Jan. 10 that the force “must change” and that it already had “a practical plan to turn things around.”
The Metropolitan Police Commissioner said the Metropolitan Police Department, under his oversight, had arrested more than 2,500 of the city’s major criminals, announced an “anti-corruption and anti-abuse command” and a hotline, and made many more arrests. said that it has already started the first step of Over 130 of him for drug trafficking crimes.
He explained that his plan includes nine reform priorities, including building leadership academies and adopting increasingly proactive approaches to reducing crime.
police misconduct
The Met has been plagued by a string of scandals, including the murder of Sarah Everard by an on-duty police officer, Wayne Cousins.
It was later revealed that Cousins had shared inappropriate sexual messages with other police officers on a WhatsApp group called Bottles and Stoppers.
Earlier this month, former Metropolitan Police Officer David Carrick, who worked with Cousins, admitted to 49 counts of rape, wrongful imprisonment and lewd assault involving 12 women between 2003 and 2020.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the abuse of power “really sickening” and said the police “must deal with failures” and “restore public trust”.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council last week sent a letter to sergeants telling police in England and Wales to complete checks of all officers and staff by 31 March and for further investigation by September. I was told to identify all incidents.
The Home Office has also initiated a review of the police disciplinary system, allowing police officers who are “not fit to serve the public” and “not up to the high standards expected of them” to be fired.
More than 1,000 Metropolitan Police Department officers and employees previously accused of domestic violence or sexual offenses are reviewing their cases.
PA Media contributed to this report.
