The Metropolitan Police – the ‘Met’ – is prioritising resources and putting more officers on the beat in the busiest parts of London – including the West End – to focus on core policing priorities, protect the public, and tackle areas with high crime

Despite the Met getting smaller, it is applying more resources and smarter tactics to tackle the biggest priorities.

Neighbourhood policing
Up to 80 more officers are joining the West End team to bear down on crimes which most concern Londoners – including antisocial behaviour, violence against women and girls, shoplifting and phone robbery – as part of the Met’s focus on neighbourhood policing.
The intensified action is part of ongoing work by the Met and Mayor of London to boost local neighbourhood teams, enhance partnership working and put high visibility policing at the heart of fighting crime and rebuilding trust.

Visible
The West End will see its policing team grow by over 50 per cent so they can target prolific offenders as well as being visible and approachable to protect the public and deter criminals.
Six town centre teams will also be expanded or newly created with 90 additional officers in areas with the highest volumes of thefts and robberies covering Brixton, Kingston, Ealing, Finsbury Park, Southwark, and Spitalfields.

Drive down crime
Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said that the Met had “a laser-like focus on ensuring our officers and staff are in roles where they can drive down crime on issues that matter the most to Londoners. This is what the public expects of the police, which is why we are putting neighbourhood policing first, tackling the crimes that we know are impacting the public in the busiest areas, and making the capital’s streets safer.

“We’re adding up to 170 additional officers, split between the West End and town centres across London. Thanks to the hard work of our local teams, neighbourhood crime has already fallen by almost a fifth over the last year and moving these officers to the frontline will make sure we are a more visible presence in London.”

Enhanced
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “Nothing is more important to me than keeping Londoners safe. Thanks to record funding from City Hall, the West End will see a 50 per cent increase in the number of police officers on the beat and an additional 90 police officers working in new or enhanced town centre teams in hotspot areas.

Secure
Ros Morgan, chief executive of the Heart of London Business Alliance, welcomed this development. “A safer West End is essential to its success. With over 200 million visitors a year and a £50 billion contribution to the UK economy, keeping this district secure isn’t optional – it’s vital. We’ll continue working with the Met to protect the West End’s reputation as a world-class destination.”

www.met.police.uk
See page 22 of the latest issue for Crimestoppers campaign for safer streets