Council funded police officers hailed a success after £1m of vehicles recovered and more than 100 arrests made.

A team of five Metropolitan Police officers funded by Havering Council to tackle anti-social behaviour have seized over £1M worth of stolen vehicles and arrested more than 100 people during their first six months in action.

Named the Havering Joint Task Force, the team are intelligence-led and tasked to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour hotspots.

Since its formation, the Task Force has arrested 104 suspects, with 41 arrests being for residential burglaries and 11 being for possession of offensive weapons.

During that same time, 45 stolen vehicles across Havering have been recovered by the team, and intelligence has been gathered to help identify offenders for arrest and conviction.

Havering Joint Task Force have also been instrumental in planning and executing Operation Gambler – a cross border initiative with Metropolitan Police and Essex Police, targeting high harm offenders such as gang members, robbers, burglars and drug dealers. 269 individuals have been arrested as the result of proactive, intelligence-led policing.

Other notable achievements include the arrest of one of the tri-borough’s highest profile offenders, wanted for seven different offences, and taking part in Operation Hemlock, a major operation cracking down on vehicle thefts. One individual arrested by the team during the operation had been involved in the theft of over £3 million worth of vehicles.

The officers work closely with Havering Council’s new enforcement and safety team, ensuring that there is a consistent presence on the streets and helping the Council in its commitment to making the borough safer. Their role includes leading on enforcement operations, tackling crime, undertaking interventions, and supporting the Council’s enforcement services in their work.

Councillor Damian White, Leader of Havering Council, said:

 “I am really pleased that we found money in the budget to fund this team and give the police extra support fighting crime. These results clearly show this was an excellent investment in making the borough safer.

“From stopping burglaries to catching car thieves, these police officers, paid by Havering, for Havering, are making a real difference in the local community.

“We will continue to work closely with the Metropolitan and Essex Police to help make our borough an even safer place to live.”