![\"Met](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0-7-7-scaled.jpg\" "\\"Met")
Police conducts an operation outside Seven Sisters station in London, Britain 20 August 2025. Facundo Arrizabalaga\/MyLondon<\/p>\nThe Met Police\u2019s summer crime crackdown is making a \u201chuge difference\u201d to London\u2019s streets, a senior officer has claimed.<\/p>\n
The Home Office\u2019s Safer Summer Streets campaign, which is running until the end of September, has seen officers across the capital focusing on high-visibility policing and increased presence on the neighbourhood beat.<\/p>\n
Between 30 June and 10 August, there were 1,376 arrests in the 20 hotspot areas across London identified by the force \u2013 up by a third compared to the same period last year.<\/p>\n
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ben Russell, the Met\u2019s lead for Safer Summer Streets, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that targeting crime hotspots was the key to reducing crime overall, rather than spreading the force too thin across London.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the scene of a drug crackdown in Seven Sisters, Haringey, which is one of the 20 areas identified, he said: \u201cThe academic research will tell you that by focussing on the areas with the highest amount of crime, you have a disproportionate impact \u2013 not just reducing crime in those areas, but reducing crime overall.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis whole campaign is about reducing crime and antisocial behaviour.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you look at our statistics, we\u2019ve seen roughly half of the neighbourhood crime we would expect to see over the summer period \u2013 these tactics are making a really big difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
Prior to its rollout, the Met say they analysed crime data to identify the 20 town centres and high streets across London that have the biggest challenge with anti-social behaviour, theft and street crime.<\/p>\n
The force then deployed an increased police presence, including community support officers, drug detection dogs and plain clothed officers,\u00a0 across the targeted areas.<\/p>\n
The number of arrests \u2013 1,376 betetween 30 June and 10 August, up a third on the same period last year \u2013 represented success to senior Met Officers.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince the beginning of April, we\u2019ve reduced knife crime in London by 18 per cent, theft by almost the same amount, and the research will tell you in our experience as offers will tell you that when you go to the hotspots with the most crime, you can make the biggest difference,\u201d Mr Russell told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 20 hotspots we\u2019ve identified through the summer plan represented less than 1 per cent of the geography of London, but they were responsible for over 10% of the knife crime. So we know what the figures are telling us.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd when we go out and we make a difference in operations like this, we know it works, we\u2019ve already arrest us over 1,300 people, we\u2019ve charged, and taken to court, more people than we expected, and crime is going down.\u201d<\/p>\n
Over the course of Wednesday\u2019s operation in Haringey \u2013 which ran from 10.30am to 6pm outside Seven Sisters Underground Station \u2013 68 individuals were stopped and searched.<\/p>\n
Of these, there were 15 positive results, leading to 10 Community Resolutions being issued and one fine.<\/p>\n
During the operation, a stolen moped was also identified.<\/p>\n
However, there were only two drug-related arrests made \u2013 one for possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, and the other for possession of ketamine, a Class B substance.<\/p>\n
The low \u2018success\u2019 rate raised questions around whether going after the users, rather than the dealers, was the most efficient way to crack down on crime.<\/p>\n
Mr Russell said: \u201cThis is all about anti-social behaviour and helping communities to be safer and feel safe.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know in particular, there\u2019s a strong link between drug use and theft and shoplifting and robbery and burglary, and those are the crimes that we\u2019re really worried about.<\/p>\n
Police conducts an operation outside Seven Sisters station in London, Britain 20 August 2025. Facundo Arrizabalaga\/MyLondon<\/p>\n
\u201cOur approach in policing is joined up \u2013 we know that a lot of the peoplewho\u00a0 steal from supermarkets are doing it to fund a habit or to get by, but we also know there is absolutely an element of organised crime that is targeting venues. So that\u2019s what we have to focus on.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are seeing people steal things from a supermarket, take it and sell it in another shot around the corner. And that\u2019s completely unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also rejected any claims that the Met were targeting areas with a higher proportion of ethnic minority residents after the LDRS noted that the vast majority of those stopped and searched in the Haringey operation were non-white.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook, the dog doesn\u2019t discriminate,\u201d Mr Russell said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPart of the reason we use our drugs dogs is because that supports our officers to make unbiassed decision making.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t about police officers standing in the street going, well, who do I think doesn\u2019t right?<\/p>\n
\u201cHow we engage with the community is really important. What you\u2019re seeing is how we\u2019re engaging with people-\u00a0 we\u2019re having a conversation. We\u2019re explaining why we\u2019re here and we\u2019re using a proportionate way of dealing with that problem.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think sometimes there\u2019s a misunderstanding about what safety is like in London, that we\u2019re here to help people feel safe and be safe.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re also carrying out similar operations in all sorts of different parts of London. We probably aren\u2019t going to do the same thing in every area. It will depend on local problems.\u201d<\/p>\n
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