Over £400,000 of drugs seized in first three months of Operation Remedy
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Avon and Somerset Police has made notable improvements in tackling residential burglary, knife crime and the illegal supply of controlled drugs, according to the latest figures.
Today (Thursday 4 July) marks three months since the first proactive day of Operation Remedy, a coordinated effort across Avon and Somerset Constabulary to improve force performance in relation to residential burglary, knife crime and the illegal supply of controlled drugs.
In April, the Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens announced Operation Remedy would involve an increase of 100 police officers and a £2million investment from local taxpayers to crack down on the crimes that matter most to local people.
The latest performance figures show that in these first three months there has been a total of 150 arrests linked to approximately 450 offences; 33 warrants executed, 23 of which resulted in a positive outcome; a total of 242 stop searches; and 414 pieces of information received from both the public and police officers.
There have also been a number of notable offenders arrested and charged in relation to residential burglary, knife crime and the illegal supply of controlled drugs. In Bath, two men were sentenced to a total of nearly eight years for possession with intent to supply cocaine, whilst in Bristol a pair were charged with assault and burglary in an incident in the Barton Hill area.
Various stolen items have been seized and recovered including £14,000 in cash, five cars, a £3,300 electric bike, a number of stolen credit and debit cards, jewellery, laptops and bicycles. In a number of incidents, officers have been able to return stolen goods to the original owners. Furthermore, a large number of drugs have been seized with an estimated street value of £432,520, including approximately 645 cannabis plants and 1 kilogram of cocaine as well as a range of other quantities of drugs such as cannabis, amphetamine and cocaine.
In May, as part of a joint effort with the British Transport Police and Great Western Railway, Avon and Somerset introduced airport-style security to tackle knife crime. These temporary metal detection arch devices enabled officers to easily screen rail passengers for knives or concealed weapons and were part of efforts to reduce the number of knives on our streets. It was also part of a crackdown on county lines drugs gangs trying to expand their trade out of bigger cities.
Assistant Chief Constable Stephen Cullen, commented: “It has been a positive first three months of Operation Remedy and I am really pleased to see the increased, visible police action on these issues which are important to the public. It is reassuring to know that we are removing drugs from the streets, reducing burglary and tackling knife crime.
“It would be premature to place too much emphasis on the different outcomes at this early stage, but I am confident that these past 12 weeks have provided a glimpse of what is to come and highlights our commitment to cracking down on the crimes that matter most to local people.”
Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens said: “I’m delighted that Op Remedy has got off to a flying start and it’s brilliant to see the noticeable improvements that have been made in the last three months. I know local people will be really pleased with the police’s increased focus on tackling drugs, knife crime and burglary.
“There’s still plenty of work to be done but I am pleased with the positive direction that Op Remedy is taking. I want to say a massive thank you to our officers for all their hard work and we will continue to send a clear message to criminals that coming into our towns and cities to commit their crimes is not an option.”