The Met Police has announced the return of operation Argon, a major operation to deter club and pub customers from carrying guns and knives this Christmas.
Police officers will be going undercover inside clubs to catch staff breaking the law and officers outside will carry out spot checks on door staff, making sure they’re playing their part in keeping clubbers safe.
Teams of officers with ‘flying’ screening arches will support door staff by sending queues of clubbers through police arches. The force warns that the “highly mobile team” will be operating across London, responding to intelligence and could turn up anywhere.
Also acting on intelligence, firearms officers will stop cars officers know to be linked to weapons and police will also use intelligence to search areas where weapons may be stashed for criminals to pick up.
Detective Chief Superintendent Helen Ball, in charge of the operation said: “Our operation is highly flexible and highly mobile. Using intelligence we’ll be making London a hostile place for criminals carrying weapons to travel around. By working with clubs and their security staff we’ll be making it as hard as possible for weapons to get into clubs.”
The Met says not only did last year’s operation resul in no shootings in nightclubs during the operation but all shootings reduced dramatically for several weeks afterwards.
