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Operation Pacman 2003 has started to crackdown on street crime

Update: 5 years imprisonment for handbag thief.

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Operation PACMAN update - October

............To Court for Mugging

The people below were amongst those recently charged with a street crime offence.

John Mark WILLIAMS aged 33 of Sullivan Court, SW6 aged 33 has been arrested for a street robbery which occurred on the 22nd September in Lalor Road, SW6. He was charged on 23rd September and kept in police custody to appear at West London Magistrates court on the 24th September.

Vincent Dominic GORMAN aged 43 of no fixed abode has been arrested for a street robbery on the 16th September at Hammersmith Bridge Road, W6. He was charged and kept in police custody to appear at West London Magistrates court on the 17th September.

Lee James BROUGHTON aged 31 of no fixed abode was arrested for a robbery in Askew Road, W12 on the 14th September. He was charged on the following day and kept in police custody to appear at West London Magistrates court.

..Operation PACMAN update - September
..........To Court for Mugging

The people below were amongst those recently charged with a street crime offence.

1. Two boys aged 14 and 17 year from Shepherd's Bush were charged on the 26th August with a robbery that took place the previous day in Uxbridge Rd W12. Both appeared at West London Youth Court on the 27th August.

2. On the 26th January 2003 a driver had her handbag stolen from the passenger seat while stopped in traffic. Curtis Officer a 29 year old man from Wallflower Street, Shepherds Bush was arrested and charged with robbery. He has now been convicted of robbery and was sentenced on 15th August to 5 years imprisonment.

Operation PACMAN update - 30 July
To Court for Mugging

The people below were amongst those recently charged with a street crime offence.

1. A 13 year old from Shepherd's Bush who had been charged with robbery in April was committed to Inner London Crown Court and will appear on the 13th August.

2. A 17 year old boy from Walthamstowe was charged on the 26th July with robbery that took place the previous day. He is on bail with a curfew to appear at West London Youth Court on the 6th August.

3. A 17 year old boy from Shepherd's Bush was charged on the 26th July with robbery that took place the previous day. He is on bail with a curfew to appear at West London Youth Court on the 6th August.

If you have information about these people or local crime call the hotline on.
0800 555 111

Background
Police have commenced a prolonged campaign of policing and partnership activity in the borough to reduce street robberies and snatches of telephones.

Police research has shown that a small minority of persons are committing a significant number of the street crime (mugging) offences locally. We are therefore targeting areas and individuals to tackle this criminality. Many proactive operations and tactics will be adopted, some overt, and some covert. Examples so far:

· Eleven criminals are being specifically targeted for their criminal activity. Some have already been charged and are on bail awaiting trial.

· Targeting cycling on the footway. In the last three weeks snatches involving cyclists in the Shepherd's Bush area have reduced by 30%. Did you know that you can be arrested for failing to stop. On the 2nd July a young man was convicted at West London Magistrates Court and fined for failing to stop.

· Protecting property through marking local people's phones. In the last month working with the council as part of operation Quality Street, Police have marked 100s of mobile phones.

· Extra operations and officers targeting street crime. At times Police have had over 60 extra officers on the borough targeting street crime.

· A Borough Support Unit of 13 officers working from a Police Carriers and fast response 'Q cars' are now operating across the borough.

Police will be working in partnership with our statutory partners in this process to pursue any action that will impact on such crime. This may be through the housing departments, social services and education departments to name but a few. Such action may include pursuance of eviction proceedings where tenancy has been breached or applications for 'anti-social behaviour orders' where evidence deems this appropriate.

Police will continue to maintain this high level of policing and partnership activity until levels of this type of crime are reduced.

Read also: Latest witness appeals