Trick or treat gunman among Halloween raid arrests
POLICE made a number of arrests over the weekend as they tried to crack down on robberies over Halloween. The period is usually one of the busiest times of the year for police – with robberies a particular problem due to the number of people on the stree
POLICE made a number of arrests over the weekend as they tried to crack down on robberies over Halloween.
The period is usually one of the busiest times of the year for police - with robberies a particular problem due to the number of people on the streets.
This year proved to be the same. Robberies were reported across the borough, including the attempted raid of a Kentish Town shopkeeper at gun-point on Saturday.
In response, officers from the Borough Task Force (BTF) - who were accompanied by the Ham&High on Friday evening - arrested a number of suspects.
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A police spokeswoman said: "Camden BTF provided anti-robbery patrols during the Halloween weekend in our ongoing efforts to crack down on robberies in Camden.
"Although the evenings were busy with suspects being arrested, overall with the increased resources from the response teams, Safer Neighbourhoods Teams, CID Officers and Crime Squad, Camden Police helped to make the borough safe."
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On Friday night, the team, which operates in unmarked 'robbery' cars, made two arrests. On Saturday, four suspects were detained. Another four suspected robbers were picked up by the borough's crime squad.
The BTF was called on to attend a number of different incidents around the borough over the weekend.
At about 8.30pm on Saturday evening, a shopkeeper was standing outside his store in Falkland Road when a man approached him. He said the words "trick or treat" and pointed a gun at his head.
He was forced back into the shop while a second suspect approached the till.
But the robbers, both wearing masks, made off empty-handed after the shopkeeper screamed for help.
Three men have also been charged with another Halloween robbery in Oval Road, Camden Town.
Arthur Argalis, 30, and Igor Potjomkin, 35, both of no fixed abode, and Andrejs Petersons, 35, of Malden Road, were charged on Sunday.
BTF officers are encouraged to target known criminals proactively. But as part of their remit they are required to respond to reports of robberies and, as a result, are often first on the scene.
The team is also tasked to certain hotspots where crime or anti-social behaviour have risen.
They were were recently posted to the Peckwater Estate in Kentish Town.
In just over a week, officers made 17 arrests, gave out numerous cannabis warnings and moved dozens of suspected troublemakers out of the area using dispersal powers.
