Latest Queen’s Gate Ward Police Panel Meeting
January 2025
Our Treasurer, John Foldes, attended the most recent Queen’s Gate Ward Police Meeting this January. These quarterly meetings provide updates and insights into the local area’s crime analysis and prevention.
Two high visibility operations were planned with TfL specialists to tackle illegal cycling (riding on pavements or through red lights). Unfortunately, TfL cancelled but the sergeant is trying to reschedule these. But as part of daily operations the team has been out on one occasion specifically speaking to cyclists and warning them verbally. They lack the expertise to issue more serious penalties i.e. fines.
Operation Marshall against shoplifters is ongoing as a combined operation between undercover plain clothes officers and uniformed officers. These have been ongoing every other week on High Street Kensington, Notting Hill and Gloucester Road. The biggest issues are at Waitrose, Gloucester Road.
An Immigration Operation is upcoming targeting moped riders at a couple of hotspots nearby where these riders congregate. The concept is to identify those riding without insurance and to also check their immigration status, taking action against those who have committed an offence or are here illegally.
A dog operation (against drug users & dealers in particular but also against general criminals) is planned for next month subject to liaison and agreement with the British Transport Police.
The police continue to put a lot of emphasis on crime and theft prevention through a focus on community engagement. This means advising the public not to leave your phone lying on an outside café table or your laptop unattended while you go to the toilet. Recently a lady was advised that her Porsche boot was open with a £4k set of golf clubs on display. She nearly lost her clubs and her car.
Actions against vagrants and beggars continue and these rough sleepers are being moved on Monday to Friday. Unlike in Knightsbridge where they seem to be organised by Romanian gangs, in our area and in neighbouring Earls Court they are more likely to be genuinely homeless, sometimes intentionally.
There have not been many burglaries, but residents are warned to ensure that if they have scaffolding on their building that it is alarmed and the ladder taken up at night. There were two high value burglaries in Queen’s Gate Gardens recently.
Residents should also be aware of QR codes on parking notices / parking ticket machines. Scratch them to see if scammers have stuck them over the genuine article before scanning them.