More then 500 arrested as the Met gets tough on knife crime
130 knives were taken off London's streets as part of Operation Sceptre.
More than 500 arrests have been made as part of a week lock crackdown on knife crime in the capital.
Officers ramped up searches, targeting knife crime as part of the national operation, ‘Op Sceptre’.
130 knives were recovered.
Officers increased patrols in violence hotspots, and carried out warrants on those known to carry knives. They also carried out weapons sweeps in areas known for discarded knives.
Officers were also involved in visiting businesses to educate them and ensure they were not – and do not in the future - sell knives irresponsibly.
As part of the week-long intensification, officers across the capital visited a number of schools to educate, engage with and warn young people about the dangers of carrying knives.
The 7 day crackdown: In numbers
514 arrests
995 weapon sweeps
130 knives recovered
17 warrants
104 community meetings and educational events, engaging with 949 people
88 school presentations and engagements, involving 2,466 young people
140 retailer visits
'Policing alone can't solve violent crime'
The operation was coordinated by the Met’s Violent Crime Taskforce (VCTF), which manages all London-wide operations focused on tackling violent crime.
Chief Inspector Rob Ranstead, who led the operation, said: “Our mission is to bear down on violence and make communities safer across London – it’s one of our priorities.
“Operation Sceptre is an intensification of the work we already do every single day and officers will not stop doing everything they can to target those carrying weapons on our streets.
“Policing alone can’t solve violent crime and I am grateful to all those partners and community members who worked alongside us during this activity and joined our efforts.”
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