Operation Honey Badger
HOW MET POLICE OFFICERS ARE GETTING KNIVES OFF HILLINGDON’S STREETS
WE MEET the officers going out into the community as part of Operation Honeybadger, which aims to crack down on knife crime in west London.
It’s 8am on a Saturday morning and whilst some of us aren’t even out of bed, officers from Met Police’s West Area are being briefed on the first, of what is to be many search warrants across the day.
They are reacting to intelligence that a male has imported an offensive weapon into the country, which they believe to be a knuckle duster.
Whilst previous laws meant officers could only act if they found these weapons being carried on the streets, a government crack down on offensive weapons spearheaded by former Home Secretary Amber Rudd means officers can now search, seize and prosecute those caught with weapons, including deadly “zombie knives”.
The blanket ban also targets those in possession of acid, offensive weapons, and those who might be ordering knives online to come to their home adress.
Get West London was invited to join Met officers on their proactive ‘day of action,’ as part of Operation Honey Badger which aims to clamp down on knife crime and offensive weapons in west London.
The officers were first dispatched to an address near Uxbridge where they carried out a search of the property.
In addition to recovering the knuckle duster they also uncovered numerous other weapons, the male was then arrested on site and taken into a West London custody.
Police Constable Dan Cromie, who helped lead officers in the investigation, said: “We’re here today as part of Operation Honey Badger, at a property near Uxbridge. It’s a response to recent violent offences committed in the local area and this particular search is to do with importing offensive weapons.”
“It [the knuckle duster] is of particular concern because we don’t know if anything else is being imported and obviously they are illegal, and they are dangerous weapons that are currently being used out there on the streets.”
After a successful seizure officers where back to process crucial evidence, and we joined another group of officers carrying out vehicle searches.
For this search officers use a technology known as Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), to help narrow down their search.
The technology allows police to flag up motorists who may already be on the police radar for weapons offences, could be driving a ‘cloned vehicle,’ driving with drugs stashed in their vehicle, or could be driving without insurance.
If a vehicle fails to stop for police to be searched, a number of enforcement vehicles lie in wait to help catch those who might be trying to make a break for it.
These stop searches are one of many ways police are using technology to target those driving around with offensive weaponry stashed in their vehicle.
Whilst police did not make any arrests whilst we were at the roadside search site, it’s a great way to Seargent Evans and Police Constable Fowles perform roadside searches as part of operation Honey Badger Below:
use technology to regularly enforce a stop and search, which can help keep knives, drugs and a number of contraband items off the streets.
Another technique used by police involves the use of anti terrorism officers, or ‘pole officers’ who are trained to search vast areas for discarded weapons and stolen items.
We joined pole officers as they searched an area of hedges, in an area known to police for high levels of ‘knifepoint mobile phone thefts.’
Officers uncovered a hacksaw handle with the blade removed, a marijuana grinder and a number of smashed mobile phones that police believed to be stolen.
Trained officers recovered a number of items they believed could have been stolen
The recovery of these items was significant and could lead to further arrests in the future for this sort of crime in the area.
A total of five arrests where made across the day including a male in possession of a bladed article, in this case a Stanley knife, and a recall to prison.
In the course of the day an officer was also assaulted after they eventually stopped a moped which failed to stop when asked by police.
Officers ended the day of arrests on a poignant message: ‘Knifes Take Lives’ taking their awareness stand manned by local officers to supermarkets and public areas.
It was a haunting message, that rings all too true in west London, but the day demonstrates that police are acting on new legislation to search for truly abhorrent weapons and keep them off our streets.