Geezah
10-31-2005, 10:51 AM
A senior Met police officer has warned the scourge of gun crime has spread to Wandsworth, despite the borough commander once dubbing the area one of the safest in London.
The Met Police's assistant commissioner, Tarique Ghaffur, said guns were now spreading to parts of London such as Wandsworth and Putney.
Gun crime has increased across Wandsworth by nearly 84 per cent over the past financial year.
Mr Ghaffur, whose responsibilities include serious gun crime and divisions such as Operation Trident, said the increase in firearm incidents was part of a national trend.
Since April there have been 68 incidents of gun-related crime in the borough, compared with 37 cases in the last financial year. Detective Sergeant Phil Tomlinson, who heads Wandsworth police's drugs and firearms desk, said a significant amount of firearm offences in Wandsworth were committed with replica and converted weapons.
He said there were also a large number of ball-bearing (BB) guns which were easy to purchase and yet contribute toward gun crime figures.
"The drugs and firearms desk at Wandsworth are working with Wandsworth Council to reduce drug dealing and those who use firearms to protect their interests," he said.
"We have already had significant results since the start of Operation Shield.
"This has included the seizure of 17 replica firearms, five firearms, 148 rounds of ammunition and one hand grenade."
The borough's robbery desk has also made arrests in relation to firearms as part of Operation Impact.
DS Tomlinson added: "I must stress that gun-enabled crime in Wandsworth is still much lower than neighbouring boroughs such as Lambeth, even though Wandsworth is geographically twice the size."
Wandsworth is the largest of the inner London boroughs, covering 13 square miles and with 280,000 residents.
Link (http://www.wandsworthguardian.co.uk/news/localnews/display.var.645208.0.concern_over_gun_rise.php)
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The Met Police's assistant commissioner, Tarique Ghaffur, said guns were now spreading to parts of London such as Wandsworth and Putney.
Gun crime has increased across Wandsworth by nearly 84 per cent over the past financial year.
Mr Ghaffur, whose responsibilities include serious gun crime and divisions such as Operation Trident, said the increase in firearm incidents was part of a national trend.
Since April there have been 68 incidents of gun-related crime in the borough, compared with 37 cases in the last financial year. Detective Sergeant Phil Tomlinson, who heads Wandsworth police's drugs and firearms desk, said a significant amount of firearm offences in Wandsworth were committed with replica and converted weapons.
He said there were also a large number of ball-bearing (BB) guns which were easy to purchase and yet contribute toward gun crime figures.
"The drugs and firearms desk at Wandsworth are working with Wandsworth Council to reduce drug dealing and those who use firearms to protect their interests," he said.
"We have already had significant results since the start of Operation Shield.
"This has included the seizure of 17 replica firearms, five firearms, 148 rounds of ammunition and one hand grenade."
The borough's robbery desk has also made arrests in relation to firearms as part of Operation Impact.
DS Tomlinson added: "I must stress that gun-enabled crime in Wandsworth is still much lower than neighbouring boroughs such as Lambeth, even though Wandsworth is geographically twice the size."
Wandsworth is the largest of the inner London boroughs, covering 13 square miles and with 280,000 residents.
Link (http://www.wandsworthguardian.co.uk/news/localnews/display.var.645208.0.concern_over_gun_rise.php)
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