Met chief: We’ll hit thugs with ‘Al Capone tactics’

THE head of Scotland Yard is planning to use ‘Al Capone tactics’ to tackle the gangs blamed for the surge in murders in London.

Commissioner Cressida Dick yesterday announced a new task force of 120 officers to target the most violent gang members to take them off the streets ‘for any crime’. She made reference to the notorious 1920s Chicago gangster, who was finally jailed for tax evasion despite his links to numerous murders, as an example of how violent criminals could be brought down.

Announcing a ‘visible increase’ in officers on the street the commissioner told the Evening Standard: ‘We will be encouraging them to not just deal with those people for violent crime, or carrying a knife, but for associated crime, or indeed any crime.

‘If we can get people locked up, if we know they are a prolific knife criminal or a very violent person, then that is all to the good.’