§ Mr. Boatengasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what quantity of prohibited drugs has been seized in the course of Operation Trident from its inception to the present date; and what is the breakdown by weight and class of these drugs.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggAs the drugs seized during the operation are now being analysed, the information requested is not yet available.
§ Mr. Boatengasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total cost of Operation Trident from its inception to the present date.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggI understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that this information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, it is likely that the total additional costs of the operation were small.
§ Mr. Boatengasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commisssioner of Police of the Metropolis as to how many arrests have taken place in the course of Operation Trident in the All Saints road area of Notting Hill from its inception to the present date; what is the breakdown, by reference to the race code used by the Metropolitan police, of those arrests; how many charges have arisen from those arrests; and what is the breakdown by nature of those charges.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggI understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that a total of 263 arrests had been made in the course of Operation Trident up to 21 July. Statistics on the ethnic background of those arrested are not centrally recorded. 73 people have been charged and 56 cautioned following arrest. Details are provided in the following table:
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Number of persons charged in Operation Trident by nature of charge Charged Cautioned Drugs Supply 17 — Possession of an offensive weapon 4 1 Burglary 1 — Theft 5 — Handling Stolen Goods 3 — Deception 2 — Disorderly Conduct 7 19 Drunk 1 29 Excess Alcohol 8 — Obstructing Police and Highway 16 — Assault Police 1 —
Charged Cautioned Going equipped to steal 1 — Other 7 7 Total 73 56
§ Mr. Boatengasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to how many officers have been deployed, in total, in the course of Operation Trident, from its inception to the present date; what is the maximum number of officers deployed in any one day; and what divisions these officers have been drawn from, broken down by numbers.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggI understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that information about the total number of officers deployed on the operation is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The maximum number of officers deployed directly on the operation at any one time was 88 on Friday 3 July. The officers involved in the operation have been drawn from all areas of the Metropolitan police.
§ Mr. Boatengasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has called for a report from the Commissioner of Police of' the Metropolis on Operation Trident; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThe conduct of Operation Trident is an operational matter for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. I have, however, asked the Commissioner for information in relation to the questions asked by the hon. Member.