On Thursday 12th June 2008 officers from West Putney Safer Neighbourhoods team, together with support from the South West Traffic Team ran an ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Reader) Operation in Roehampton Lane SW15 to target drugs crime on the Ward.

The aim was to disrupt criminal activity, arrest offenders and provide reassurance to the local community. The operation also involved officers from other Putney Safer Neighbourhoods teams.
During the course of the Operation, over thirty vehicles were stopped.

As a result of the stops five arrests were made. These were for Handling Stolen Goods, Criminal Damage and being wanted on warrant.

Two arrests were also made for Cannabis Cultivation after a vehicle was stopped whilst carrying paraphernalia associated with growing Cannabis. During a search of one of the suspects’ properties officers discovered that a room within the property was locked.

A humming sound, light and a suspicious smell was coming from behind the locked door. Due to this officers forced entry into the room and discovered that it had been converted into a Cannabis factory where numerous Cannabis plants were being grown, cut, dried and gathered.

Sergeant Eric Ostrowski said:‘West Putney Safer Neighbourhoods Team is committed to tackling drugs crime on the Ward this is one of the methods we are using to reduce crime and disrupt the activity of local criminals. The arrests for Cannabis cultivation and the subsequent discovery of the Cannabis factory was an excellent result for the team and for the community.

This has sent out a strong message to criminals that we will take positive action against them and we will continue to gather intelligence in order to execute search warrants where we suspect drug dealing to be taking place.’

June 20, 2008