Local Theft Update

Local Theft Update

Here’s a quick update on personal theft and what’s being done locally to address it.

On Saturday 17th October, officers from Belvedere, Thamesmead East, Thamesmead Moorings and West Thamesmead Safer Neighbourhood Teams attended Birchmere Park Car Boot Sale with Trading Standards as part of Operation Zoridon, targeting the sale of stolen goods.

Results from the operation included:

✅ A pallet of suspected stolen tools seized after a stall holder abandoned the goods and made off upon police arrival.

✅ One male arrested after offering an officer in plain clothes approximately £60 worth of washing powder for £20. Enquiries established he had been seen shoplifting the items from a local B&M store around 30 minutes earlier. He was subsequently charged with shoplifting.

✅ Significant Trading Standards seizures, including five large sacks containing clothing, tobacco, trainers and 156 bottles of perfume.

✅ Three electric scooters seized after stall holders made off from the location.

These joint operations help tackle acquisitive crime, disrupt those profiting from stolen property, and protect local residents and legitimate businesses.

If you have information about crime or anti-social behaviour in your area, please continue to report it to police via 101, online, or 999 in an emergency.

The Met is cracking down on street crime by putting hundreds more officers on the frontlines of community crime-fighting teams, upping visible patrols in the right ‘hot spots’ so we can deter and catch criminals.

Having personal items or money stolen from you is an upsetting experience. If you have been a victim, it is important that you report these crimes to us as early as possible, to give us the best chance possible to investigate this fully. These reports help us build a picture of hot spot areas where we can spend more time, deterring and arresting thieves. 

Remember to: 

• Be aware of your surroundings – only take out valuables if you feel it’s safe. 
• Do not leave valuable items unattended.
• Make sure any bags you have are not left unattended and are closed securely.

You can report an incident of theft online at https://www.met.police.uk. 

We want your help to shape the future of policing across London. We are seeking your views on our new inclusion strategy to ensure that the Met is a police service that is trusted, representative and more effective at keeping London safe. You can have your say on our Inclusion Strategy consultation which runs until Thursday 26 November.