Major Police Operation Sees 13 Arrests and Stolen Motorbikes Recovered Across Havering

On Thursday 12th March, officers from Ilford and Havering Safer Neighbourhoods Teams, Street Duties Officers, Romford Town Centre Team, British Transport Police and the Havering Joint Task Force carried out a coordinated operation as part of Op Virgo.

The operation targeted crime and anti-social behaviour hotspots, as well as offenders travelling across the borough’s transport network.

The results were significant.

A total of 9 stop searches were carried out, with 6 proving positive. Officers made 13 arrests for a range of offences:

6 x Shoplifting
4 x Handling Stolen Goods
1 x Public Order
1 x for FTA (3 offences)
1 x for Domestic related arrest

In addition, 2 people were issued with Postal Charges for drug offences and 1 PND was issued.

Officers also recovered a large amount of stolen property. This included 3 stolen motorbikes located by the Havering Joint Task Force, along with goods taken from local shops such as clothing, electric toothbrushes and other items.

PC Norton, who organised the operation, said:
“The day was a great success. We targeted areas with both uniformed and plain clothes officers, along with mobiles patrols in areas which had been identified by both local knowledge and crime mapping and got some fantastic results as well as providing the local community with reassurance that we are tackling crime in the area”.

One key area of focus was Harold Hill, where five individuals were arrested following a shoplifting spree totalling approximately £3,360. One of the males already has a criminal behaviour pending for offences at the same store.

During this incident, officers PC Walsh, PC Hazell, PC Evans and PCSO Appleton also demonstrated compassion when dealing with a male who was having a seizure and became unresponsive. Following police intervention, London Ambulance Service attended and the male was conveyed to hospital.

The operation also placed a strong emphasis on safeguarding and early intervention. Officers engaged with vulnerable individuals and directed them towards support services where appropriate. As part of this work, three Project Adder referrals were made.

Project ADDER is a voluntary referral process allowing officers to direct individuals into local, London-based substance misuse treatment services for both drugs and alcohol.

A further six DIP tests were completed in custody, all of which were positive. The Drug Interventions Programme (DIP) is used to identify offenders who use Class A drugs. It is particularly important in trigger offences such as shoplifting, helping to direct individuals into treatment and reduce the likelihood of reoffending linked to addiction.

PS Harris said:
“We know that the community is concerned by people who persistently seem to be getting away with theft and some of this is so blatant that it can affect public confidence in the police. These operations help to demonstrate our commitment to crack down on these repeat offenders. Combining enforcement with the work that we are also doing to prevent reoffending such as the Op Adder and the DIP programme”.

A/Inspector Jayshree Patel said:
“I’m incredibly proud of the fantastic work carried out by officers across Havering during County Lines Week. Their proactive approach from targeting crime hotspots to supporting vulnerable individuals, has delivered strong results and reassurance to our communities. This operation reflects our ongoing commitment to tackling those who cause harm, while also helping people access the support they need to break the cycle of offending.”

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