Julia Lopez MP has hosted a joint meeting with police, attended by local traders and representatives of the five biggest retailers in Harold Hill, to discuss a crack down on shoplifting and organised crime in the area.

The group gathered this morning at Harold Hill Library to intensify the community fightback against persistent offenders. A live policing operation, Clear, Hold, Build, has been underway since December and delivered a 50% reduction in offences. However, after a February walkabout with shopkeepers in the area, Mrs Lopez had been asked to contact major retailers in the area to see if extra support could be offered.

Mrs Lopez and Havering police lead, Supt. Hutchison, therefore invited Boots, the Co-Op, Iceland, Sainsbury’s and Superdrug to a meeting to ask how they might get further involved in the Clear, Hold, Build project. Simon Ford, Chair of Harold Hill Shop Association, represented local independent traders and Suzane Hedges, of the Ricky Hayden Memorial Foundation, also attended to talk about her work to provide bleed kits to help respond to knife crime.

Inspector Routley, Operational Lead of the CHB project, set out the significant successes it has already delivered and how retailers could best report into Met systems and provide detailed evidence to help with prosecutions. 

Representatives of the five retailers each addressed the group, setting out the measures that their companies had taken to improve the safety of their staff and customers alike and to reduce offending. They also spoke of actions to align their software and reporting process with Op Retail, the Met’s operation to respond to shoplifting and honour pledges made in the government's Retail Crime Action Plan.

All parties agreed to continue collaborating, supporting Clear, Hold, Build and look at what more might be done, including setting up a Business Crime Reduction Partnership for the area. 

Julia Lopez MP said:

“I am very grateful to all the retailers who attended this morning’s meeting and their constructive approach to tackling the crime that has blighted the Farnham Road area for too long. Clear, Hold, Build provides a real opportunity for us all to work together to deliver a lasting change to the community - and in a way that, I hope, could be applied to other busy shopping areas in Hornchurch & Upminster.”