Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick has said she visited Elm Park last week because it is “a lovely place that has suffered serious violence in recent months”.
The Commissioner was in Havering as part of a convoy from the Met’s Violent Crime Taskforce.
A convoy can involve up to 60 officers travelling across London in marked and unmarked vehicles, aiming to visit three boroughs during each deployment.
Teams will meet at a designated location in each borough and the senior officer will conduct a street briefing, often with several members of the community.
Officers will disperse and carry out weapon sweeps with the assistance of the Met’s Dog Unit, engage with local retailers and businesses, patrol hotspot areas, and speak to members of the community to understand any issues or concerns they may have.
Speaking after her visit, Commissioner Dick said : “I was delighted to spend some time with colleagues at Elm Park.
“This is a lovely place that has suffered some incidents of serious anti-social behaviour and some violence in recent months.
“Finding out what local people think is an important part of my job, and I think the public working, living and travelling locally were reassured by the very visible police presence we brought with our convoy, carrying out knife sweeps with community members, encouraging local people to give us information and patrolling in the area.”
Ch Supt Ade Adelekan, who leads the Violent Crime Taskforce, added: “Convoys are all about community engagement and increasing police visibility.
“It is extremely important that we understand first hand, from those who live and work in the communities where crime, particularly knife and violent crime, has had an impact, so that we can figure out the most effective ways to help.
“We don’t just police London, we are part of it, and going out in large numbers gives officers the chance to talk honestly and openly with members of the public, answer questions and offer reassurance.
“We’ve said before that police cannot solve the issue of violent crime alone, therefore we absolutely must work closely with key community groups and members of the public.
“This means coming together, having regular conversations and being more accessible.”
After holding the street briefing, officers conducted a weapons sweep and recovered a number of knives as well as a quantity of drugs.
Councillor Viddy Persaud, cabinet member for public protection and safety, said: “Havering Council works closely with police and community groups on a daily basis to tackle crime and the threat of crime.
“Our priority is always to protect our residents so they can live, work and go to school as safely as possible.
“We also want visitors to our borough to come here and enjoy what Havering has to offer in a safe environment.
“Operations like this are important and support further the work that is going on as we look to take the strongest action in making sure we keep Havering safe.”
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