22/07/2004

Shootings in London fall by a third: Met

Shooting incidents in London have fallen by just over a third since the start of the year, the Metropolitan Police has reported today.

A new team set up to tackle shootings in London, dubbed Operation Trafalgar, has had "strong results" - cutting instances of non-fatal shootings by 35%.

The total number of shooting incidents investigated by officers fell from 49 offences between January to June 2003, to 32 offences over the same period in 2004.

Operation Trident, a team set up to tackle shooting incidents in the black community, has reported a 45% reduction in gun-related murders over the last six months; from 11 murders between January and June 2003, to six murders in the corresponding period this year.

Sharing intelligence has proved pivotal in reducing gun-related crime, the Met said.

Between Trident and Trafalgar the Met has seized 51 firearms, 283 rounds of ammunition, 80 kilos of Class A drugs and over £378,000 cash. They have charged 127 people, culminating in 345 years of imprisonment.

Crime hotspots in Camden, Haringey and Lambeth Boroughs has seen falls in gun crime of 40%, 27% and 21% respectively. Gun crime also fell in Hackney and Brent Boroughs with reductions of 17% and 10%.

Detective Chief Superintendent John Coles, Head of both operations, said: "The combination of the Trident and Trafalgar teams working together in one command has led to an improved focus on intelligence and proactive opportunities to drive down shootings in London that benefits all the communities we serve."

(gmcg)

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