Operation Baselife ran for a week from November 3, during which over 100 additional officers were deployed to the area
About 40 minutes into our patrol of a corner of the West End we finally got our obligatory photo of a police officer stroking a dog.
Crouching down on Oxford Street, hand outstretched towards the cute little canine, the image captured what was perhaps the most low-risk moment of our afternoon, more Bobby on the beat than high-octane London policing.
But the extra police presence wasn’t just a photo op, or to enhance community relations. We were with the Met as part of Operation Baselife, a week-long operation targeting offences including shoplifting, phone theft and antisocial behaviour (ASB) in the West End.
More than 100 additional officers were deployed under the operation, which kicked off on November 3 and is part of wider efforts to tackle crime in hotspots across the capital over autumn and winter.
Earlier this year the Met Police revealed it would be doubling the number of officers in the West End while also boosting its use of live facial recognition technology.
The BBC reported that up to 80 more officers were joining the team, as the Met looked to shift its resources to notable problem areas amid growing financial constraints.
Ros Morgan, Chief Executive of the Heart of London Business Alliance, said at the time the additional officers would mean the partnership with the police is “only going to get better and our businesses will be really happy that this has finally happened, because we’ve been calling for it for quite some time”.
The fact the West End is a focus for the Met comes as no surprise to anyone who visits the area on even a casual basis.
Many will be familiar with reports of phones being snatched out of unsuspecting victims’ hands, with the culprit shooting off at-pace on a moped or a bike down one of the area’s many side-alleys.
At night the focus shifts to the effects of drink and drugs, with Soho a particular area of concern.
The Met, however, says the stats are moving in the right direction. Between April 1 and October 29 this year, the force says neighbourhood crime in the West End is down 20.7 per cent compared to the same period in 2024, knife crime by 22.3 per cent and theft from a person 23.7 per cent.
They added that across London officers are arresting roughly 1,000 more criminals every month compared to last year, with 92 per cent more shoplifting cases solved.
Our patrol of the West End began on foot around Regent Street, heading east along Oxford Street and ending up in Soho Square Gardens.
The lack of action was perhaps unsurprising given it was mid-afternoon on a Thursday, with the majority of the officers’ time spent either providing directions, checking on items such as bags left discarded or simply liaising with people passing by.
The fluorescent yellow hi-vis jackets certainly enhanced the officers’ visibility, something PC Amy Cray said could deliver mixed results.
“We have a love/hate relationship with high-vis coats,” she said. “We like it because we are more visible to people…[but] if you are in black jackets you aren’t as visible so you do catch things in the act a little more.”
In Soho Square officers handcuffed a man suspected of being in possession of cannabis, something confirmed following a search. The LDRS was later told that due to it being the man’s first offence he was issued with a community resolution before being sent on his way.
After our walkabout we accompanied one of the Met’s Interceptor teams to patrol the area by car. The Interceptors primarily target robberies and thefts involving cars and various forms of two-wheeled transport, such as mopeds.
While our patrol resulted in no arrests, there were several calls taken by the team relating to phones being snatched.
Blue lights on, racing through a melee of mid-afternoon Westminster traffic, it was impossible not to be impressed by the speed and dexterity of the driving.
It also, however, highlighted the task officers face having to chase down alleged thieves, often decked out with balaclavas whizzing past pedestrians on mopeds or electric bikes.
Like a supercharged game of whack-a-mole, we were told the hit-rate of catching thieves with stolen goods on them is fairly low. This came as no surprise.
We later learned another of the teams had engaged in a chase which led to an arrest, demonstrating the value in having officers on the streets and able to respond to incidents in the heart of the City.
Following our outing the Met said it had arrested more than 100 people in the West End over the week, including a man suspected of an upskirting offence.
Superintendent Natasha Evans, who led the operation, said the results show “that targeting prolific offenders in crime hotspots works. Our intelligence-led approach means we’re solving twice as many shoplifting cases and taking hundreds of offenders off the streets.
“Through this intensified action, we are continuing to ensure the West End remains a safe and welcoming place for residents, businesses and the millions of visitors who come here each month.
“We’re doubling down before Christmas, as the West End enters one of its busiest periods. Local officers, specialist teams and tech such as Live Facial Recognition will focus on the areas with the most crime to keep driving numbers down.
“Our officers continue to tackle crimes that matter most to Londoners through highly visible, intelligence-led policing that builds trust in our communities.”
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