Mayor joins Met neighbourhood officers in central London who are working to bear down on robbery and make city safer for everyone

• Sadiq joined neighbourhood officers on patrol in central London to see first-hand how intelligence-led, proactive and targeted patrols are making the West End safer for communities, visitors and local businesses
• Action is part of New Met for London plan to revitalise frontline policing, win back the confidence and trust of Londoners and work with communities to deal with local priorities, including robbery and theft
• Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime convene new Robbery Reduction Partnership to boost joint working between local businesses, London Councils, police, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Youth Offending Service, Transport for London, the Safer Business Network, the Violence Reduction Unit and the British Transport Police 
• Mayor warns the ongoing cost-of-living crisis continues to jeopardise the progress made in tackling crime in the capital, with research showing a stark link between a rise in the cost of living and increases in violence, robberies, shoplifting and theft [1]

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today joined Met officers on patrol in Westminster to see first-hand how frontline teams are being revitalised with record funding from City Hall to help tackle local priorities, including robbery and thefts.

The action is part of the New Met for London plan to revitalise frontline policing, which will mean every borough and every ward across London will have its own team of officers and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) to bear down on crime and win back the confidence and trust of Londoners.

The Mayor spoke to officers about how they are using data and gathering local intelligence to focus their proactive and targeted patrols to make the capital safer for communities, visitors and local businesses. 

This hyper-local approach is leading to more targeted action in crime hotspot areas across London. Between October 2023 and January 2024, 5,768 individuals were charged or cautioned for offences such as assault and 621 people for robbery offences. Whilst nearly 500 (497) people were charged or cautioned for knife crime offences. [2]

In the same three-month month period in Westminster the local neighbourhood team have reported a huge drop in anti-social behaviour in the local area whilst on patrol and Westminster officers have – acting on local intelligence – charged or cautioned nearly 300 individuals for a mixture of violence, knife crime and robbery offences.

This model of enhanced neighbourhood policing has been rolled out across the capital and will see an extra 1,300 neighbourhood police officers recruited as well as more PCSOs on our streets, with the Mayor supporting the police with a record £151 million in this year’s budget for policing and crime prevention.

The Mayor’s visit today coincided with the launch of a new Robbery Reduction Partnership, which has been set up by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), to improve joint working between local businesses, London Councils, the police, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Youth Offending Service, Transport for London, the Safer Business Network, the Violence Reduction Unit and the British Transport Police.

Sadiq has warned that the ongoing cost-of-living crisis continues to risk jeopardising the progress that’s been made in tackling crime in the capital. Research shows there is a stark link between a rise in the cost of living and increases in violence, robberies, shoplifting and theft. The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics also show that robbery rates are increasing across the country and have returned to pre-Covid-19 levels [3].

Knife crime with injury in under 25-year-olds, gun crime, homicides and burglary are all down since 2016 and latest ONS stats show that you are less likely to be a victim of violence in London than in the rest of England and Wales with the rate of violence with injury rate in London also lower than the rest of England and Wales.

Enhanced partnerships will see officers working with communities to deliver on local priorities, including reducing robbery and thefts in crime hotspots. 

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Reducing crime and making London safer is my top priority as Mayor. London’s communities are the eyes and ears of the police and the relationship with our local neighbourhood officers is absolutely pivotal to tackling crime and keeping everyone safe.

“As Mayor, I’ll continue to do everything I can to boost officer numbers and support the police to go after the worst offenders. I’ll also work with leading mobile phone manufacturers to develop long-term solutions to ending the menace of mobile phone crime, which we know is driving robbery in our communities – not just in London but across the UK. But we know we’ll never simply be able to arrest our way out of this problem so this extra enforcement action will go alongside investment in prevention, youth clubs and other interventions led by my Violence Reduction Unit.

“There is no question that the national cost-of-living crisis is compounding the problem, driving a rise in robbery across the country. So I urge the Government to follow our lead in London and present a new strategy that prioritises tackling the complex causes of crime and commit to properly funding the Met police so that we can further boost our neighbourhood teams and build a safer London for everyone.”

Met Commander Owain Richards, said: “Our priority is to make the capital a safer place for people who live and work here – as well as the thousands of visitors who come to enjoy all of the fantastic things Westminster has to offer. 

“This means we’re working with local businesses to tackle crimes like robbery and theft, which we know can have a lasting impact on victims.

“We’re using data and technology to identify areas with the most crime, targeting our resources with increased patrols, which deter criminals and make officers more visibly available to members of the community. 

“Live facial recognition is also being used to take harmful criminals off our streets.” 

Hannah Wadey, CEO of the Safer Business Network, said: “I am pleased to be part of the new Reducing Robbery Partnership brought together by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime. Working together to address robbery is essential for us and our business members to ensure our town centres thrive and our communities feel safe. I am confident that our joint efforts will lead to a safer environment for everyone.”

Cllr Aicha Less, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Communities, Children and Public Protection, said: “With around one million people coming into the City of Westminster every day, policing the streets and keeping the public safe is a 24/7 operation.

“That's why we're pleased to be part of the Reducing Robbery Partnership to work more closely with the Met Police and other partners to reduce robberies and thefts, and ensure wrongdoers are prosecuted.

“By working together, we can make sure Westminster is safer place to live, work, and visit.”

Mandy McGregor, Transport for London's Head of Policing and Community Safety, said: “The safety of our customers and staff is our top priority and London’s transport network is a safe and low crime environment. We are committed to ensuring this remains the case and are working closely with the our partners, including the police, to reduce incidents of robbery and other crime on the network.”