News -
Met knife arch operation seeks to combat violence in Barking and Dagenham
Met officers from Barking carried out knife sweeps and a community engagement operation alongside the local council and charities, including the Ben Kinsella Trust, in the town centre to address serious violence and knife crime last week.
Officers set up a knife arch at Barking railway station - the metal detector allows individuals to walk through and can identify concealed knives or other weapons. By using this approach alongside stop and search, officers aim to deter crime and ensure a safer environment for everyone in the community.
Superintendent David Rhodes, leading the operation, said: “Collaborating with local partners is essential in our fight against knife crime. We are committed to enhancing the safety of our community by actively implementing strategies aimed at reducing knife- related incidents. Our initiatives include the installation of knife detection arches, conducting weapon sweeps, setting up information stall to raise public awareness, and increasing police visibility in our neighbourhoods.
“As a result of these concentrated efforts, we have achieved a remarkable 20 per cent reduction in serious violence and a 38 per cent decrease in robbery over the past year.”
Barking and Dagenham Council promoted their ‘Lost Hours’ campaign which raises awareness to parents around the risks of youth violence and knife crime as well as showcasing the range of positive activities available for young people to get involved in. The council also share information on their Safe Haven scheme which provides safe places, through local businesses, for residents seeking assistance.
And a second engagement stall was set up at the Asda superstore in Barking, where bleed kits aimed at providing emergency first aid were donated by the Liam Taylor Legacy and the Daniel Baird Foundation.
Key council figures such as Deputy Leader of Barking and Dagenham council Saima Ashraf, the Operational Director of Enforcement Regulatory Services, Gary Jones and Julia Kanji, Head of Regulatory Services joined the day.
The Met is committed to enhancing the safety of London’s streets through its A New Met for London plan, which prioritises working with the community to reduce knife crime. This plan involves forming partnerships with public, private and charitable organisations to create long-term improvements in safety.
By collaborating with local groups and stakeholders, the Met is rolling out educational programmes and outreach activities that aim to tackle the underlying issues of violence. The emphasis on community involvement is central to the Met’s strategy, ensuring that efforts to address neighbourhood crime, anti-social behaviour and serious violence are proactive and consistent across all boroughs.
Inspector Carroll Weeden, of Barking and Dagenham Neighbourhood Policing team, said: “To effectively tackle knife crime, we must focus on three key pillars enforcement, education and engagement. It’s essential that our officers engage at the grassroots level, fostering positive conversations within the community. The success of initiatives like the knife arch deployments demonstrate the power of collaboration with the local council and charity partners.
“By honouring the legacies of individuals like Liam Taylor, Daniel Baird and Ben Kinsella, we can create a united front against violence and build a safer environment for everyone.”
Councillor Syed Ghani, Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community in Barking and Dagenham, said: “Effective collaboration between the council and the police in Barking and Dagenham underpins our efforts to tackle and make our borough safer to live and work in.
“This day of action showed this united front. Youth violence and knife crime must stop. This is what sits behind the councils Lost Hours campaign, which was designed with local parents, to raise awareness of things they need to look out for, but also highlighting the many positive opportunities for young people in Barking and Dagenham.”
Patrick Green, CEO of the Ben Kinsella Trust, said: “In a recent survey conducted by the Ben Kinsella Trust, it has become evident that the fears young people have about knife crime in Barking and Dagenham are genuine. While the actual risk may be lower than their perceptions suggest, these concerns cannot be dismissed.
“The Ben Kinsella Trust is dedicated to empowering our youth and working tirelessly to ensure they feel safer and more supported in their communities.”
If you’ve seen or experienced a crime that is not an emergency, we encourage you to report it to us.
The Met is committed to collaborating with community partners to reduce violence rates, especially those related to knife crime. Your input is vital in this initiative, we encourage anyone with information, regardless of how insignificant it may appear, to contact Crimestoppers anonymously.
For non-emergency situations, please call 101, and in case of an emergency, dial 999.
Notes to Editors:
For further details on how the council and our charity partners are working towards a safe environment for our youth, please explore the websites below:
