§ Mr. Proctorasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis of representations made to the Commissioner by Lambeth council police committee concerning the special police anti-street crime operation launched in Brixton in December 1984; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Giles ShawThe Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells me that Lambeth council's police committee wrote to the commander of L District on 25 January expressing its opposition to the targeting and surveillance operation launched by the police in Brixton on 21 January. In particular, the committee claimed that the operation had gone ahead without any form of consultation with the people of Lambeth. In reply, the commander pointed out that the operation was considered necessary to combat a serious increase in crime in the area, that he had received numerous requests for such action and that the proposed operation had been fully discussed in public on 15 January at a meeting of the Lambeth Community/Police Consultative Group (on which the Lambeth council is represented) and had been endorsed by the group.
I understand that provisional results from the operation are encouraging.