Ealing residents can expect to see an increased police presence in town centres this summer as the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) ramps up operations to combat shoplifting, smartphone theft, and other crimes. The increased presence is part of a summer initiative in conjunction with the High Street Taskforce.
The initiative, announced at the Ealing Safer Neighbourhood Board meeting on Tuesday, aims to reduce crimes such as shoplifting through responsible retailer work and visits to premises selling knives to under-18s. According to the Public Reports Pack, police also plan to address smartphone theft by targeting perpetrators and raising public awareness of the risk.
To combat smartphone theft, police plan to increase operations in the town centre, targeting perpetrators and raising public awareness.
The MPS also intends to continue town centre work on Violence Against Women and Girls through uniformed and plain clothes patrols, working with live facial recognition deployments to disrupt those who have been causing harm. More officers will be deployed to schools to prevent youth crime.
Superintendent Sean Lynch and Inspector Sam Pearce of the MPS presented the report to the board. The report also noted that the Home Secretary had launched a summer of activity surrounding action in town centres, and the Safer Neighbourhood Team was working on a plan to keep town centres safe.
The Agenda Frontsheet for the meeting indicates that the next meeting will be held on 14 October 2025.
