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Police in Charnwood target travelling criminals

Posted on 03/08/2009

arrest,villain,police,constabulary Police in Charnwood target travelling criminals

Police in Charnwood are running a campaign designed to stop criminals travelling into the area to commit crime. 

Called, Operation Quibble, it aims to reduce burglaries and vehicle crime in villages such as Birstall, Anstey, Thurmaston and Mountsorrel.  Analysis shows that a number of people who had been arrested recently were travelling from Leicester and out of County to commit crime in the villages. 

Extra patrols have been put in place overnight on the main arterial routes in and out of the villages, most of them involving plain clothed officers in unmarked cars.  Officers will also be using their stop and search powers to deal with people who are out in the early hours of the morning in order to establish what they are doing and where they are going. 

The Force’s Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) team will also be deployed in the area checking vehicle registration numbers against a number of databases including the Police National Computer. 

As well as the enforcement side of the operation a crime prevention campaign is running using the rural ‘beat bus’ in villages affected by crime.  It will be staffed with officers and Police Community Support Officers who will be available to talk to residents about crime prevention advice.

Inspector Duncan Southall, Commander of Charnwood Local Policing Unit, said; “Our aim is to disrupt the people who think they can travel from Leicester into our villages and commit crime.  We have a team of officers in plain clothes who are out at night time, looking for suspicious activity.  Anyone out walking or driving through the area in the early hours of the morning will be stopped and asked to account for their actions and officers will be pulling over cars if they have reason to believe they are involved in suspicious activity.” 

“We also need help from the community and would ask residents to contact us if they see anything that arouses their suspicions and, if possible, make a note of car registration numbers.  Officers will be acting quickly to make arrests.  It is all part of our plan to disrupt criminal activity, reduce crime and bring offenders to justice.” 

Anyone who wants to report anything suspicious can call Leicester (0116) 222 2222 or, if they see a crime in progress, call 999.  Anyone who would like to give information anonymously can do so using Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is free* and anonymous.

*Some mobile ‘phone networks may charge for this call.