Night-time patrols to help keep people safe in Epping Forest District

Did you see us out and about in the Epping Forest district on the evening of Friday 6 March?

We were carrying out patrols under Operation Sceptre, which is our day to day work to tackle serious violence in a public place, particularly knife crime.

We were out in towns including Epping, Loughton, Debden and Waltham Abbey, where we spoke with members of the public and business owners, and carried out stop searches and stop checks of vehicles where appropriate.

We were joined by British Transport Police officers at the Underground stations in Loughton and Debden, where we had our knife arches to help detect any weapons.

Pc Emma Jackson, of the Epping Forest Community Policing Team, said: “The Epping Forest district is always busy and even more so on Friday nights and weekends, so these patrols were part of our ongoing work to keep it a safe and welcoming place for everyone, and to take action against anyone intent on committing crime.

“It was a successful operation and fortunately there were very few incidents.

“You’ll see us and our partners out regularly so please let us know of any issues or concerns you have so we can take action.”