Met Police arrest more than 140 people in crime crackdown in London's West End

More than 100 additional officers were deployed as part of Operation Baselife, a week-long intelligence-led operation tackling offences such as shoplifting, phone theft, violence against women and girls and other anti-social behaviour.

The operation is part of increased police activity in the West End and other London crime hotspots over autumn and winter, as the Met continues to relentlessly target prolific offenders.

Among those arrested were two phone thieves operating at an ice rink in Leicester Square, a prolific upskirter who covertly filmed women as they queued for the bathroom in a coffee shop, and two men caught driving a stolen vehicle around Paddington.

Superintendent Natasha Evans, who led the Met’s operation in London’s West End, said: “This operation shows that targeting prolific offenders in crime hotspots works. Our intelligence-led approach means we’re solving twice as many shoplifting cases and taking hundreds of offenders off the streets.

“Through this intensified action, we are continuing to ensure the West End remains a safe and welcoming place for residents, businesses and the millions of visitors who come here each month.

“We’re doubling down before Christmas, as the West End enters one of its busiest periods. Local officers, specialist teams and tech such as Live Facial Recognition will focus on the areas with the most crime to keep driving numbers down.

“Our officers continue to tackle crimes that matter most to Londoners through highly visible, intelligence-led policing that builds trust in our communities.”

Operation Baselife – which began on Monday, 3 November – brought together the Met, local authorities and partner organisations to tackle crime in the West End through a structured and intelligence-led approach.

During this period of action, officers worked at specific times and places where offences were most likely to occur. Both uniformed and covert teams worked to target prolific offenders.

Officers were supported by specialist teams such as “interceptors” who largely target robberies and thefts involving cars, mopeds, Surrons and e-bikes. The Marine Policing Unit also carried out patrols along the River Thames.

Between 1 April and 29 October, officers achieved promising reductions in several types of crime in the West End compared to the same period last year:

• Neighbourhood crime down by 20.7 per cent

• Knife crime down by 22.3 per cent

• Personal robbery down 14.1 per cent

• Theft from a person down 23.7 per cent

• Theft from vehicle down 19 per cent

• Vehicle offences down 13.7 per cent

Crime is falling across London. Between 1 April and 29 October, neighbourhood offences such as theft, robbery and vehicle crime were down nearly 15 per cent compared to the same period last year. Officers are arresting around 1,000 more criminals every month compared to last year. The Met has also solved 92 per cent more shoplifting cases this year.

Examples of the types of arrests made during Operation Baselife’s week-long intensification period include:

• On Tuesday, 4 November two men were arrested after covert officers observed them trying to steal mobile phones from women at an ice rink in Leicester Square. Officers searched the men and found several stolen phones on them. Officers reunited one of the phones with its owner.

• On Wednesday, 5 November covert officers arrested a suspect for an upskirting offence. The man was caught standing behind two women covertly filming their buttocks as they waited for the bathroom in a coffee shop in Soho. Officers seized the man’s phone and discovered a significant number of similar videos taken around London.

• On Thursday, 6 November officers identified a black Nissan Juke driving with cloned plates in Paddington. Officers pre-emptively “stung” the car to avoid a pursuit. They did this by deploying a stinger – a belt of spikes that can puncture the tyres of a moving vehicle safely bringing it to a halt. The car was confirmed stolen. The driver and passenger were arrested for theft of a motor vehicle and possession of cannabis with intent to supply.

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Notes to editor:

Video and stills are available to download here: https://mps.box.com/s/bj8piwi7z9rlqqgfpneqf79qcqqbbo1j

• ‘Phone theft blurred’ video and still image of Leicester Square case mentioned above.

• ‘Vehicle sting blurred’ video and still image of Nissan Juke case mentioned above.

• ‘Town Centre Team’ video and still images of officers on foot patrols around Soho.

• ‘Marine patrols’ still image of officers patrolling River Thames as part of Op Baselife.