Tower Hamlets Police have sent us an up-date on the result of operation sceptre, an initiative designed to ramp up activity to suppress knife crime and wider violence

Met Communication

A vast range of activity was carried out by officers across the Met, including targeted patrols in violence hotspots; warrants to target high harm offenders; and weapons sweeps in areas known for stashed weapons.
Officers also worked closely with British Transport Police during knife arch deployments at transport hubs, aimed at deterring people from carrying weapons and drugs on the train and tube network. Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology was also used by Met and City of London officers, targeting those carrying and supplying drugs on the roads in and out of London.
Crucially, there was also a focus on education, diversion and prevention, with officers engaging with 10,563 young people; community members and business owners.
While conducting community weapons sweeps, local officers worked side-by-side with community members, listening to their concerns and searching for hidden or discarded weapons. Officers, Met Special Constables and Volunteer Police Cadets also carried out 290 retailer visits to educate businesses and ensure they were not – and do not in the future – selling knives irresponsibly.
In total, the operation, which ran from Monday, 15 November to Sunday, 21 November 2021, resulted in (Met-Wide):
• 290 knives recovered;
• 937 arrests;
• 82 warrants executed;
• 186 community meetings and educational events, engaging with 1,206 individuals;
• 264 school presentations and engagements, involving 8,063 young people;
• 2,745 weapon sweeps.
We wanted to let you know our local results for this week of intensification, for Tower Hamlets and Hackney,
which are as follows:
137 weapon sweeps.
13 knives found.
51 arrests with 11 for weapon offences.
18 test purchases
We visited all of our Habitual Knife Carriers who were engaged with by our integrated gangs unit or Violence Suppression Unit.

Over 1200 children engaged with through schools presentations or the Junior Citizenship Programme.
Our local plan was led by our Violence Suppression Unit and supported by partners at both Tower Hamlets and Hackney local authorities. We send our gratitude to all of our partners who supported the initiatives across the week.

We all have a part to play in tackling violent crime, and we encourage you to share the following information amongst your organisation/teams:
Taking a stand can be as simple as giving information about crime or those who carry a weapon. Any information you give to Crimestoppers can make a difference in reducing knife crime and the harm it causes to families. Crimestoppers never ask your name and they cannot trace your call, your IP address or the device you use. Fill in their quick online form or call 0800 555 111. It could save a life

Please also note you are welcome to report anonymously to the Tower Hamlets Neighbourhood Watch Association directly using our online form.