Over the next 24 hrs there will be more high-visibility patrols in the district, in a bid to ensure residents feel safe and officers can quickly identify and arrest anyone who breaks the law.
The force has enacted ‘Section 60’ powers under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act which gives officers enhanced powers to stop and search people to ensure they are not carrying illegal items such as blades.
Section 60 allows them to use stop and search legislation more widely than usual to find weapons, drugs or other illegal items in a specific area.
The Section 60 powers are effective from now and there will be an increased high visibility and plain clothed police presence in the area shown on the map.
The force has taken this step after a 17-year-old was found with a laceration wound near the Nidd Viaduct on the outskirts of Harrogate last Wednesday (24 July).
He was treated in hospital for what is believed to be an injury from a blade.
A full investigation was launched, resulting in the arrest of four youths, aged 15 to 17.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Wilkinson said:
“This is part of our response to ensure Harrogate residents feel safe, and I hope our enhanced police presence will do exactly that.
“Because Harrogate is generally a very safe area, anyone who’s up to no good tends to stand out. So during this intensification period we will be proactively looking for these people, and we will be using our enhanced stop and search powers as well as a number of other covert policing tactics.
“Anyone carrying weapons, drugs or anything else illegal will be dealt with to the full extent of the law. We intend to use these powers to make an impact.
He added,
“This is a robust approach, but we’re making no apologies for that – we want to keep North Yorkshire safe, and we know we have the backing of residents who don’t want weapons or drugs in their communities. We want North Yorkshire to be a no-go area for anyone carrying weapons or dealing in drugs.”
Chief Insp Wilkinson added that detectives have been carrying out extensive enquiries as part of the investigation into the Nidd Viaduct incident, but anyone with information who has yet to report it can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101 and select option 1, quoting reference 12240132370.
You can pass on information anonymously by phoning the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visiting their website.
There is also a dedicated service provided by Crimestoppers for 11 to 18-year-olds called Fearless.
Their website tells you how you can share information without giving your name and explains more about what happens when you do.
It also has a section for parents and professionals who work with children and young people.
Please provide reference number 12240132370 when using either service if your information is about the incident mentioned above.
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