Arrests, crime prevention and community patrols as Op Tornado comes to Harrogate district

A large-scale operation that involves high-visibility community patrols and targeted police deployments has led to arrests across the Harrogate district today.                                                        

They include six arrests in connection with burglaries, with other suspects arrested on suspicion of drug offences, grievous bodily harm and other serious crimes. Six wanted people have also been located and taken into custody.

Our officers have also been out in force on the beat in communities across the district, meeting residents, sharing crime prevention advice and security marking people’s possessions.

It’s part of a day of intensification, codenamed Operation Tornado, which aims to disrupt criminality and provide support to communities by focussing resources on specific areas of North Yorkshire on different days.

Op Tornado has been introduced by North Yorkshire Police’s new Chief Constable, Tim Forber, who attended today’s operation. Similar days of action have already taken place in York, Scarborough and Ryedale district.

Across the Harrogate district today, more than 50 police officers and PCSOs have deployed, with results including:

• Six arrested in connection with burglaries and other thefts, including vehicle theft and retail crime
• Two drug warrants executed in Harrogate and Ripon, with a significant amount of drugs recovered and two arrests
• Six wanted people located and arrested
• Foot patrols in communities across the district and drop-in events in residential areas, including Jennyfields, Bilton, Starbeck and one at a synagogue in Harrogate
• A push on burglary prevention, with residents being given new burglary prevention information leaflets
• Free property marking sessions for residents, who can bring along possessions to be marked
• Retail patrols in town centres to tackle retail theft, working with businesses to share information and offer crime prevention advice. We’ve been working with the council CCTV team, the BID town centre support officer and all retail stores that are part of the Harrogate District Business Against Crime project.
• High-visibility and tactical policing on the district’s roads, to catch travelling criminals and prevent motoring offences. Our off-road motorbike team is also targeting illegal riding on paths in more rural areas
• Patrols in Harrogate town centre to prevent street drinking and anti-social behaviour, led by one of our Neighbourhood Policing sergeants

Chief Inspector Simon Williamson, whose command area covers Harrogate district, said: “Today’s operation has a wide scope but its purpose is straightforward – to prevent crime and proactively target those who commit it.

“Burglary, shoplifting, drugs and violent crime in particular are offences that our communities quite rightly expect us to be tough on.

“And while we deal with these 365 days a year, today’s arrests highlight how decisively we respond to criminality in North Yorkshire, especially when we focus lots of resources on a single area.

“We’ve also had scores of officers on the beat and doing face-to-face crime prevention work, as it’s absolutely vital that we continue to work closely with residents, businesses and other organisations in the district.

“Harrogate district is already a very safe area and North Yorkshire is officially one of England’s safest counties. By working together and using police resources tactically like this, we can ensure it remains that way.”

Those arrested and in custody today include:

• Two youths, aged 14 and 15, arrested in connection with a high-value burglary and vehicle theft in Harrogate, and possession with intent to supply drugs
• A man in his 30s arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm
• A man in his 30s arrested in connection with the theft of a vehicle in Harrogate
• A man in his 20s arrested on suspicion of retail theft offences in Knaresborough
• A man in his late teens arrested in connection with supplying drugs
• A man in his 30s and a man in his 40s arrested in connection with an attempted burglary in Richmondshire
• Six wanted people arrested on warrants in connection with various offences
• Two arrested following two drugs warrants – one in Harrogate and one in Ripon