Police officers in Ealing engaged in a large scale coordinated pan-London day of action on Thursday, 24 April 2014 targeting burglary, theft and other related offences.

The latest Operation Big Wing involves more than 5,500 officers from across London’s 32 boroughs, Safer Transport Command and specialist units, including the Territorial Support Group and Dogs Unit, working with partners to carry out a wide range of operational and crime prevention activities as part of an ongoing drive to cut crime in London.

Across London warrants are being executed targeting suspected burglars and thieves and the recovery of suspected stolen goods.

Officers are carrying out spot checks at pawn shops and other stores where thieves may be trying to sell on stolen goods, whilst high visibility and plain clothes patrols are taking place at robbery and burglary hot spots.

Other activity includes Automated Number Plate Recognition [ANPR] operations, street briefings and crime prevention events at transport hubs and shopping centres, with officers advising the public about how to protect their homes and valuables.

Commander Mak Chishty, leading today’s operation, said: "The MPS is committed to driving down crime and its generators in London. Crimes like burglary, robbery and theft have a huge impact on the people who are victims."

"Work continues day in and day out to target those responsible and the networks they use to sell on stolen property, but big highly visible operations like today play a major part in the fight against crime and demonstrates there is no hiding place for criminals."

Crime continues to fall in London with over 46,500 fewer crimes committed during the last financial year.

The Metropolitan Police Service’s latest crime figures for the financial year 2013/14 show a 6.2 per cent reduction in offences in the Capital compared with the previous 12 month period.

Robberies are down by 19 per cent (nearly 6,500 fewer offences), which is the lowest level for 15 years. During the last financial year, the Met had a particular focus on tackling robberies that involved the theft of mobiles phones and we have seen a 24 per cent reduction in these offences.

A similar pattern can be seen in relation to theft from person (when no threat or violence has been used), which fell by nearly 6,500 (-13 per cent). Significantly, mobile phone thefts, which represent around 70 per cent of these cases, were reduced by 14 per cent following a range of proactive and prevention work to tackle these offences.

There were more than 7,500 fewer burglaries in London in 2013/14 compared with 2012/13 - a reduction of 8 per cent, bringing burglary down to its lowest level in London since 1974.

The Met has introduced a range of operational activity and use of innovative techniques to tackle burglary, including predictive crime mapping, the use of traceable liquids, improved forensic strategies and the use of cross-borough burglary teams to catch offenders.