Latest Safer Neighbourhoods News (Sept 2011)

New Commissioner named
Bernard Hogan-Howe has been named as the new Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service.
Following his appointment he said: "Thank you to the Home Secretary, the Mayor and the Metropolitan Police Authority for the honour of appointing me as the next Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.
"I would like to pay tribute to the work done by my predecessor Sir Paul Stephenson and I look forward to building on this in the future.
"I would also like to acknowledge the calibre of the other candidates for this position - in particular Tim Godwin who has done such outstanding work as the Acting Commissioner during some very testing times for the Met.
"It is clear to me that the men and women who work for the Metropolitan Police are dedicated and professional, and work for a service that London can be proud of. "
"It is my intention to build on public trust in the MPS and lead a service that criminals will fear and staff will be proud to work for."
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Street Crime Campaign Launched

The Met has launched a new marketing initiative targeting young people to help reduce street crime after figures revealed that across the Met 34% of victims of personal robbery were aged 10 to 19 years and the majority of cases involved the theft of a mobile phone (between April and August 2011).
About 1,000 officers have been engaging with school children across London as they start the new school year.
As well as carrying out increased patrols, officers are advising youngsters to conceal high value phones, digital media players and gold jewellery (the value of which has increased dramatically).

The Met is working with local businesses, such as Cash Converters, to put a stop to the trade of stolen goods and encouraging youngsters to enter the IMEI number of their phone on the www.immobilise.com property register and to use apps to trace help trace their phone if stolen.

Find more crime prevention advice at www.met.police.uk

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37 caught in sting operation and 21 firearms removed from streets
A group of 37 gun traders and drug suppliers have been sentenced to a total in excess of 400 years imprisonment following Operation Peyzac, a successful Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) undercover sting operation designed to target serious and organised crime in and around Enfield borough in response to a spate of murders in Enfield in 2008 and intelligence suggesting that gangs were operating in the area.
In order to gain information about the gangs, detectives launched a covert music shop called the Boombox in a busy Edmonton shopping area. Officers filmed the trading of firearms, ammunition and drugs during the 12 month period the shop operated. One man was filmed selling officers four loaded guns, having travelled with them on a bus, another was filmed handing over cocaine with a street value of £4,000.
In April 2010 officers, working with colleagues from the Territorial Support Group (TSG), Specialist Crime Directorate (SCD) and the Specialist Firearms Command (CO19), carried out simultaneous raids at 35 addresses across north and east London. They also raided a further address in Leeds as part of intelligence received.
At one address in Tottenham, Haringey, officers discovered a gun conversion factory and seized a number of components of firearms and ammunition. Further searches at other London addresses revealed a large number of weapons, including knives and swords, two air rifles and a samurai sword. They also discovered a significant amount of class A drugs and cash.
In total 21 firearms were removed from the streets. Those sentenced included seven men from Tottenham, one man from Wood Green and one man from N8.
Commander Mak Chishty, Area Commander for North London said: "I am extremely pleased with these court results which are the culmination of a pre-planned, long-term operation and highlight the commitment of the Metropolitan Police Service to tackle the issue of serious and organised crime in our communities. We will continue to disrupt and arrest those involved in this type of criminality."
Police continue to work with partnership agencies to pursue those involved in violence, organised criminality and gangs.
See the full details of this story at www.met.police.uk