Twenty two people have been arrested during a major 24-hour police operation in the Harrogate district.
Operation Tornado took place yesterday (Wednesday), focussing on crimes officers deal with every day and done by co-ordinating a high number of police resources in a specific area.
Extensive residential and rural patrols have taken place across the wider district, including Ripon, rural areas and surrounding villages.
Results from yesterday’s operation in the Harrogate area include:
- Nine people arrested for drug offences after three warrants were executed at addresses across Harrogate and further addresses were visited. They were taken into custody on suspicion of offences including possession with intent to supply drugs and conspiring to supply class A and B drugs. Drugs were seized during searches of the addresses.
- An assortment of weapons, including air pistols and knives, were seized along with drugs at a property in Harrogate, with two arrested on suspicion of weapons offences as well as drug offences.
- Three people were arrested over immigration offences during visits to businesses in Harrogate town centre by the exploitation team.
- A stolen motorbike was recovered in Ripon, where officers have been focusing resources to tackle illegal motorbike and e-bike use following feedback from residents.
- Five wanted people were located and arrested by teams patrolling key areas by car.
- A man was arrested on suspicion of retail theft and suspected stolen items were recovered from an address as part of a push on retail crime, which also included visits to town centre businesses by retail crime prevention teams.
- Officers from across the ranks, including the Deputy Chief Constable, have been on the beat in Harrogate town centre to speak to residents and visitors, with dozens of people stopping off at a drop-in session on Oxford Street.
- In more remote areas, the Rural Task Force has been on patrol and carrying out crime prevention visits to farms and other rural businesses.
- The off-road motorbike team has been patrolling large parts of the district, on the lookout for illegal motorcycle use, stolen vehicles and unlawful riding.
- And roads policing teams have been keeping motorists safe during their patrols, while dealing with motoring offences and vehicle crime.
Superintendent Teresa Lam, Commander for Harrogate district, said:
“Operation Tornado has again made a massive impact in just 24 hours, with a significant number of people arrested for serious offences.
“It’s also been great talking to residents and business owners while we’ve been out and about.
“Conversations like these, alongside the crime prevention initiatives that we’ve been delivering, really help us stand side-by-side with communities.
“We want this combination of no-nonsense crime enforcement and community engagement to reassure people that we’re here for them, as we make what’s already a very safe part of the country even safer.”
During yesterday’s deployments, the force worked closely with British Transport Police, North Yorkshire Council and other organisations to make the arrests and share crime-prevention advice.
It involved police officers of all ranks and roles including the Chief Constable, PCSOs, Special Constables, Police Cadettes and police staff.
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