At around 6pm on Thursday, 24 March, a CCTV operator in Croydon spotted a group of four males armed with knives engage in a fight in the vicinity of Frith Road.
Officers from both the South Area Violence Suppression Unit and the Met’s Violent Crime Taskforce were quickly on scene and aided by the tracking of CCTV operators located all four who were involved.
Two males, both 18 and 18, were arrested following a foot chase in Duppas Hill Terrace.
The further two males, aged 14 and aged 15, were arrested by officers in Church Road.
A total of three weapons, two machetes and one Rambo knife, were recovered by officers – these were the weapons that the CCTV operator had witnessed being brandished during the fight.
All four were arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and affray and have been bailed pending further enquiries.
Detective Superintendent Lewis Collins, of the South Area Basic Command Unit, which covers policing for Croydon said: “This type of violent behaviour has no place on our streets and I hope the speedy and decisive action of Met officers demonstrates our commitment to tackling this.
“The primary purpose of the Violence Suppression Unit is to provide a visible and reassuring presence in areas with higher levels of violence across Croydon, Sutton and Bromley, and to carry out our key priority of apprehending those intent on committing violent acts in our communities.
“Our relentless activity is working, with violent crime coming down across various categories; but we are not complacent and will continue to listen to, and work with our communities to make further inroads.
“We always work closely with our local authority colleagues across the Capital to help keep our streets safe and this is an excellent example of how this partnership works for Londoners.”
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