Day of action delivers five arrests and helps prevent phone snatches across Fleet Street Quarter
A coordinated day of action across Fleet Street Quarter last month brought together police officers and local partners to tackle crime, improve safety and provide reassurance to businesses, workers and visitors.
The operation delivered some really positive results, with a total of five arrests and eight vehicle seizures. Importantly, no phone-snatching offences were reported throughout the operational period, highlighting the importance of visible police presence and proactive work across the Quarter.
Around 30–40 officers and partner resources supported the deployment, including Neighbourhood Team officers, PCSOs, the Cycle Team, Servator, PACT officers and Special Constables. It was fantastic to see such a collaborative approach, with teams carrying out hotspot patrols, targeted enforcement, counter-terrorism reassurance patrols and individual business visits throughout the day.
Targeted enforcement and visible reassurance:
A key focus of the operation was tackling theft of mobile phones and disrupting the activity often associated with these offences within known organised crime groups.
Officers seized eight vehicles, including seven bicycles and one scooter. This included two high-powered e-bikes of the type commonly associated with phone-snatching offences. The operation also saw PCSOs supporting a crime prevention stand on Ludgate Hill, alongside two Metropolitan Police Surron riders carrying out patrols between 3pm and 9pm within the footprint.
Having officers out across the Quarter throughout the day provided a welcome visible presence, helping to deter criminal activity and reassure those who work, live and spend time in the area.
The operation resulted in five arrests, with several individuals subsequently charged in connection with theft offences. One individual was arrested for shoplifting at a local retailer and subsequently charged. Two further individuals were arrested and charged following separate shoplifting offences at businesses within the City.
The results from the day are a great example of what can be achieved when policing teams and local partners come together with a shared commitment to improving safety. With five arrests, eight vehicle seizures and two intelligence submissions, the operation delivered a strong response to our businesses local concerns.
At Fleet Street Quarter, continuing to work closely with the City of London Police and our wider partners is a huge part of our Safe & Secure work. Maintaining a visible presence, tackling offending and making sure businesses and the wider community feel safe remains a priority, and we look forward to building on this work through further joint operations across the Quarter.
If you would like to know more about our work on Safe and Secure, contact Beth Nash on beth.nash@fleetstreetquarter.co.uk
