Bexley Police Deliver Multi-Agency Night Time Economy Operation

On Friday 31 July, Bexley Police conducted a large-scale operation focused on tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), supporting the borough's Night Time Economy (NTE) and enhancing public confidence in policing.

The operation was designed to address these challenges through a combination of engagement, prevention and enforcement activity. A key objective was to make women and girls feel safer whilst enjoying Bexley's night-time economy, whilst working with partner agencies and licensed premises to identify vulnerability, improve safeguarding opportunities and deter offending.

Given the range of tactics deployed to identify offenders and improve public safety, the operation attracted significant media interest. There was also interest from local partners and elected officials wishing to observe elements of the operation.

The scale of the operation was partially informed by a recent licensing outcome where conditions were varied at a local venue following the behaviour of an employee linked to VAWG-related concerns. As a result, that individual has been prohibited from working at the premises.

Phase 1: Licensing Visits and Community Engagement

Officers from Operation Vigilant, supported by specially trained VAWG officers, Metropolitan Police Service volunteers, the local authority VAWG lead and a reporter from the Daily Mirror, conducted a series of licensing visits in Bexley Village and Bexleyheath Broadway.

The purpose of these visits was to:

Officers engaged directly with venue managers, door staff, employees and members of the public throughout the evening. These conversations provided an opportunity to discuss local concerns, reinforce safeguarding responsibilities and promote a collective approach to creating safer spaces.

The visits were positively received by venue staff and management. Officers also identified several opportunities for future engagement and learning with some premises to further improve safeguarding standards and support the ongoing delivery of VAWG initiatives across the borough.

Phase 2: Operation TOPAZ

The second phase involved Operation TOPAZ, an ANPR-led operation targeting vehicles displaying suspected "ghost plates", registration plates that have been altered or treated to avoid detection by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems.

Whilst primarily focused on road safety and criminality, this phase supported the wider VAWG objectives of the operation by disrupting offenders seeking to evade police detection and increasing visible enforcement activity within the night-time economy.

Activity took place across Bexley Village and Bexleyheath Broadway and involved:

Results

Throughout the operation, officers were accompanied by the BBC's Panorama programme, which observed both policing tactics and the use of ANPR technology. Several additional vehicles were stopped, with officers providing advice and education regarding vehicle registration plates and compliance with legislation.

The aim of this operation was to identify and disrupt offenders seeking to evade detection, improve road safety and prevent criminality associated with illegally modified registration plates.

Phase 3: Licensing Visits and Drugs Dog Deployment

The final phase involved licensing visits to venues that had recently experienced incidents involving violence and reports of drug misuse.

Officers, accompanied by a police drugs detection dog and colleagues from the MPS Central Licensing Team, attended two licensed premises where they engaged with staff and patrons to support efforts to reduce drug use and violent crime.

The operation resulted in a number of positive indications by the drugs detection dog, leading to several stop and searches and the recovery of controlled drugs on one occasion.

Importantly, the activity provided reassurance to venue operators, staff and customers, improving confidence in the support being provided by police and partners to tackle violence, drug misuse and anti-social behaviour. The highly visible police presence also provided opportunities for further engagement with members of the public and reinforced the commitment of Bexley Police to making the night-time economy safer for everyone, particularly women and girls.

Officers were also accompanied during this phase by the Leader and Deputy Leader of Bexley Council, enabling them to observe first-hand the collaborative work being undertaken by police, council partners and licensed premises to improve public safety.

Overall, the operation effectively combined prevention, engagement and enforcement activity, delivering positive outcomes across a number of policing priorities.

Whilst enforcement activity resulted in arrests, vehicle seizures and the disruption of criminality, the primary focus remained on tackling Violence Against Women and Girls, improving safety within the night-time economy and increasing public confidence in policing. Through visible patrols, engagement with licensed premises, partnership working and targeted enforcement activity, the operation demonstrated Bexley Police's commitment to preventing violence, safeguarding vulnerable people and creating safer spaces for residents and visitors.

Bexley remains one of the safest boroughs in London, and this operation demonstrated our ongoing commitment to working with communities, partners and businesses to ensure it remains that way.