A NEIGHBOURHOOD policing inspector in Blaenau Gwent has praised his team following a successful operation in the borough.
Inspector Dan Wise planned the three-day operation following an increase in reports of vehicle crime in the borough.
His team, who were joined by detectives from the force’s serious organised crime unit, carried out numerous patrols across Ebbw Vale and Tredegar to target those they believed to be involved in crimes such as vehicle thefts, theft from vehicles, criminal damage, anti-social behaviour (ASB) and more.
Between 24 – 26 July, officers arrested 11 people on suspicion of offences including burglary, theft, criminal damage, breach of bail conditions and drug driving.
Insp Wise said:
“Across three evenings, we carried out almost 40 stop searches, which resulted in us removing drugs from our streets.
“We also detected several motorists committing offences, with four traffic offence reports issued for driving without insurance or without a licence and using a handheld mobile device while driving.
“On Thursday, five young people were arrested after a parked police vehicle was damaged. Within minutes of the offence, officers, including a dog handler, apprehended five people.”
The team is committed to tackling anti-social behaviour in the area, and submitted one referral to the Youth Offending Service and four REACH referrals after alcohol was seized from underage people.
“ASB can affect everyone in our communities,” added Insp Wise, “including residents and those working in the area. The damage to our vehicle, for instance, is reckless and completely unacceptable. Mindless behaviour like that can potentially delay us in getting to someone who needs urgent assistance.
“We’re continuing to focus on ensuring our communities are as safe as they can be and investigating the vehicle offences.
“We’ve seen a reduction in reports since the operation, however, and the team will continue to work hard to identify offenders.”
