Police patrols stepped up in wake of shooting
POLICE have been carrying out “high visibility patrols” in Hayes to “reassure” people after a young man was killed by a gunshot.
Superintendent Ricky Kandohla has spoken to getwestlondon a week after 22-year-old Hashim Ali Ahmed was shot while sitting in a car in central Hayes.
He is urging residents who suspect they know someone “clearly looking to commit crimes” to “reach out” to police.
Hashim was the passenger in a black Mercedes car that was parked in Central Avenue, just off Uxbridge Road, when he was shot, police have said.
The young man was then driven in the car towards Hillingdon Hospital when the Mercedes collided with cars and pedestrians in West Drayton Road on Thursday October 11, just before 3pm.
Supt Kandohla, who is in charge of neighbourhoods policing in Hillingdon as well as Ealing and Hounslow, said officers have been out on “high visibility patrols, reassuring the local communities”.
“It works well,” he added. “We have a high uniformed presence to ensure local communities and busi- nesses are aware that we are there for them.
“These are rare incidents that we want to prevent and stop from happening. A fatal shooting is very rare.
“At the moment, there isn’t anything in terms of community tensions, there is no increase in that.
“We have been liaising with communities by providing high-visibility assurance patrols from dedicated ward officers and Safer Neighbourhood teams.”
Police believe Hashim was shot at 2.37pm and are keen to speak with any person who may have witnessed or heard the incident to get in touch.
Hashim was on his way to hospital when the car he was in crashed. Police arrived and called an air ambulance as well as local paramedics, but they were unable to save his life.
An urgent appeal has been made for anyone in the Central Avenue area near the junction with Addison Way between 2.30pm and 2.45pm to get in touch with police.
Supt Kandohla added: “We have had a good dialogue from the local communities, whether that be the Asian community or the Somali community.
“We told them we need to be informed of anything suspicious. As it stands, there is an interest in communities, who are encouraging people to come forward with information, whether that’s via the murder investigators or local ward officers.
“In terms of other investigations, local officers will mobilise to localised issues, look at CCTV, witness testimonies with a view to identifying those responsible. They deal with it from the cradle to the grave, as it were.
“If you know those individuals clearly looking to commit crimes, reach out to us and speak to us.”
Police have not yet made any arrests in connection with Hashim’s shooting.