Analysis of the reduction in gun crime and identification of good practice

Report: 9
Date: 4 December 2008
By: Assistant Commissioner, Specialist Crime, on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

This report will address the current reduction in gun crime across the MPS to identify good practice and outline initiatives that can be adapted or transferred to address knife crime.

A. Recommendation

That

1. members note the report; and
2. endorse the proposal that good practice should be collated and shared across boroughs and externally.

B. Supporting information

Context

1. This report will address the current reduction in gun crime across the MPS to identify good practice and outline initiatives that can be adapted or transferred to address knife crime.

2. There is a current reduction in gun crime of –35.5% (569 offences). This is being driven by a reduction in the gun crime in the 11 MPS priority gun crime boroughs (PGB) of –38.6% (338 offences). There have also been significant reductions in Specialist Crime Directorate (SCD) gun crime offences of – 25.6% (114 offences). The reduction in offences is also mirrored by a reduction in CAD calls – 12.6% (594 calls).

3. The reduction in offences has been characterised by a fall in offending with handguns, ball bearing guns, air weapons and supposed firearms. The only types of offences with a very small increase are those involving most lethal firearms (11 offences).

4. There has been no notable increase in the use of other weapons such as knives and CS/pepper sprays in line with the decrease in firearm offences.

Identified good practice in addressing gun crime

5. There has been an increase in the number of firearms recovered by the MPS. In September 2008, 189 more firearms had been recovered than in the previous financial year. This has resulted in part from an increase in covert intelligence resulting from a growth in registered Covert Human Intelligence Sources (CHIS) and significant investment in covert assets agreed by investment board in April 2008. SCD8 has had considerable successes following the appointment of a BME Youth Crime Coordinator whose main role was to promote the use of Crimestoppers.

6 Significant investment from MPS Corporate Tasking and business group budgets into proactive operations addressing gun crime has produced positive results and identified good practice. This includes the following operations:

1. Operation Esen was a proactive covert operation designed to catch people in possession of firearms, drugs and proceeds of crime. This involved a wide range of covert intelligence sources. To date this has resulted in the recovery of 12 firearms, 26 arrests and seizure of £60,000 worth of assets, the disruption of two threats to life and the identification of four armed robberies as well as an increase in intelligence and CHIS.
2. Operation Argon was an overt operation designed to reduce shootings in nightclubs and other licensed premises. The operation involved various tactics including Neons, CO14 advisors and a nightclub bus, community reassurance personnel and covert assets. This operation also received coverage in media. During the time of this operation, there were no shootings or incidents of violence in the targeted clubs. There was also evidence that it prevented a murder. The long-term impact of operation Argon was a reduction in the number of shootings in the weeks following the operation as well as a decline in firearm offences in nightclubs.
3. Operation Newlandrig and more recently Operation Bite have seen the MPS work closely with UKBA to identify disruption opportunities in line with immigration legislation. This has seen both the removal of overstayers and consideration being given to revoking Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR.) in the UK to some of London’s most harmful nominals. Operation Bite was developed under Operation Alliance. To date this has resulted in 15 of the most harmful Alliance nominals being detained.
4. Operation Betguard and Vanguard have tackled two distinct types of gun enabled commercial robbery. A number of key activities have taken place that have had a significant impact on the criminality involved. One of the key activities undertaken was the creation of direct reporting facilities beyond those normally available, for example dedicated phone lines into an operations room for the duration of the operational period. In addition to this SCD7 actively encouraged crime reporting through the Safer Neighbourhood Teams, which had not historically been available or as approachable. Within these campaigns, SCD7 has strengthened industry relationships and used Safer Neighbourhood Teams as a unique distribution network. This has allowed the unit to easily cascade their message on a ward level.
5. Operation Dwell was a dedicated prison debrief operation with the aim of improving intelligence around guns and gangs in London. The operation was successful on a number of fronts.
6. Operation Neon has been run on 28 occasions this year. All of these have taken place in PGBs and are allocated on an intelligence led basis. When the boroughs that have received the benefit of Neons are looked at we can see that those boroughs experiencing the largest falls in offending levels have also benefited the most from this resource.

7. The analysis and assessment of criminal networks involved in gun crime has assisted both SCD and TP by ensuring that they are targeting the most harmful networks in London. SCD8 have had 80 organised criminal network (OCN) sanctioned disruptions since 1 April 2007. The profiling of gangs has enabled the identification of tensions and signal crimes. In Hackney, profiling of gangs has increased the understanding of territorial aspects, including victimised gangs, motivations and control aspects. In addition to this, Cross Business Group operations for example Operation Alliance and Operation Wistleden have seen improvement in the quality and quantity of intelligence products and increase in operational opportunities to address dangerous individuals and gangs.

8. A number of boroughs have identified good practice that has helped reduce gun crime figures and increase intelligence. This has included weapon sweeps, partnership working and identification of intervention opportunities. The existence of the Gun Crime Priority Borough Meeting has also enabled boroughs and specialist units to share good practise and provided a vehicle for the review of action plans to address gun crime.

9. In addition to the above SCD8 have seen an increase in prison sentences since 2004, which has been publicised in the media. SCD7 and SCD8 have also focused further on POCA and the ability to seize assets and disrupt further criminal networks involved in gun crime nominals through their payback unit.

Similar methods that are currently being used to address knife crime

10. Operation Blunt incorporates a number of activities that mirror some of the initiatives and operations that have been used to successfully address gun crime. This includes intelligence-led Section 60s/anti-knife operations in areas where knife offenders live as well as where knife offences occur, a dedicated team of officers available for daily intelligence-led deployment to areas of London experiencing violence problems, plain clothes spotters, intelligence-gathering teams and operational teams equipped with search arches/wands and weapon sweeps. It also includes the analysis of high crime areas and cross border violence hotspots, the identification and addressing of violent offenders and local partnership working. Similar to the Gun Crime Priority Borough Meeting, a regular meeting is held for tier one boroughs to attend, which reviews activities and enables the sharing of intelligence.

11 There is a close working relationship with UKBA through Operation Bite. Six officers from the Blunt 2 Task Force are currently working with Operation Bite to disrupt dangerous individuals and gangs.

12. There have been ongoing initiatives to address the illegal supply of knives. Many BOCUs have been and continue to run test purchase operations with Trading Standards targeting retail premises that are breaching the law. However, the ready supply of knives legitimately possessed in the home remains the principal source of knives used in criminality.

Activities that could be adapted/ transferred to knife crime

13. Alcohol has been linked to violent crime and there are opportunities for Operation Argon to be developed to address violent offences in pubs and bars. It may also be suitable for areas with a high number of entertainment venues and associated violence. This could still involve the use of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), nightclub bus, covert resources, community reassurance and engagement with the media. This may require consideration to how achieve a more long-term impact. There is current joint planning activity to identify opportunities to achieve this.

14. Knife crime could benefit from the increase use and availability of covert assets especially in relation to harmful gangs and individuals involved in knife crime. Covert assets are a much sought after commodity and the majority of their deployments are towards serious and organised crime. A version of Operation Esen may be considered with the use of covert assets and fast time proactive resources to address violent gangs. The increased use of Prison Intelligence would help fill valuable intelligence gaps around gang structure, choice and availability of weapons and vulnerabilities. Increased investment in Crime Stoppers similar to the good practice identified in SCD8 and Southwark could increase the amount of actionable intelligence in a number of boroughs.

15. A number of violent offences are committed by gangs in London. An improved understanding of gang profiles, territories and tensions will improve the organisation’s ability to address and prevent violent offences. This should include the monitoring of signal crimes, interaction between gangs and potential displacement. The benefit of this was demonstrated under Operation Alliance.

16. Good practice from Operation Newlandrig and more recently Operation Bite has demonstrated the benefit of a close working relationship with UKBA to disrupt dangerous individuals and gangs. The sharing of this good practice across the organisation would enhance this further.

17. As many of the hotspots for knife crime and gun crime are shared, joint initiatives between the two offence types especially in terms of more visible operations may be beneficial. It is clear that resources used to address knife crime and serious youth violence under Operation Blunt have had a positive impact on gun crime.

18. There are opportunities to obtain information on violent individuals from social networking sites on the Internet. A corporate project is underway to enhance the ability to use and search these sites. Training has also been undertaken by the MIB to encourage use of these sites by other Boroughs and OCUs. This will require the use of covert internet access.

Abbreviations

CHIS

Covert Human Intelligence Sources

UKBA

UK Border Agencies

OCN

Organised Criminal Networks

PGBs

Priority Gun Crime Boroughs

ANPR

Automatic Number Plate Reader

C. Race and equality impact

Although there are no specific race or equality issues, aspects of both knife and gun crime have seen the involvement of a disproportionate number of suspects and victims from black and minority ethnic communities/people.

D. Financial implications

It is not proposed to put extra funds into this activity. The Operation Blunt 2 budget has already been profiled to deliver the activities referred to in paras. 10-12. There is potential for a refocusing of Blunt 2 and Corporate Tasking Budgets should additional opportunities arise from consideration of the above at paragraphs 13-18.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Catherine Pargeter MIB, Mark Simmons TP. Commissioned by Corporate Tasking at request of DAC Janet Williams, MPS

For information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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