Barking and Dagenham police wanted numbers among London’s lowest
Barking and Dagenham Special Constable Linford Braithwaite has been charged with possessing 100 indecent images of children Picture: Tristan Newkey-Burden - Credit: Archant
The number of people wanted by police in Barking and Dagenham is lower than any other north-eastern London borough, in part due to the number of people handing themselves in.
The borough has less offenders wanted on active investigations than Newham, Havering, Tower Hamlets, Redbridge, Waltham Forest, Haringey or Enfield, with the area’s arrest team dealing with up to 1,000 people a year – about 20 per cent of those giving themselves up.
Just before Christmas, the Post published a list of 20 people wanted for a range of crimes and now only 10 are still yet to be seen by officers.
Borough commander Sultan Taylor said: “My officers and teams, led by acting Det Serg Franks, have had great success in using their own approach in tracking down offenders.
“I’m very grateful to the Post for helping us publish a number of appeals which has lead to greater success and we hope this will continue in the future.”
Officers often write to offenders to let them know their face is about to appear in a newspaper appeal.
“We’ll generally receive a phonecall from them, or their solicitor, within two days then, because nobody wants to be in the media for that sort of thing,” explained Det Serg Franks.
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“We’re always trying different things, from turning up to their place of work to arresting someone at their driving test – people are getting fed up because we’re persistent and determined.
“Quite often we just want to speak to someone to clear something up and it can be dealt with on the same day.
“But we will go to their homes and workplaces at any time of the day and night, so going on the run is just upsetting those around them.”
Anyone with information about someone wanted by police should call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
