Supt Paula Booth column: 2017 promises to be a very bad year for criminals

I hope you all had a very merry Christmas and celebrated New Year's Eve in style.
Superintendent Paula Booth.Superintendent Paula Booth.
Superintendent Paula Booth.

With the over indulgences from the party season ebbing, now is the time to start looking ahead with renewed hope and determination.

From a policing perspective, this means 2017 promises to be a very bad year for criminals.

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As we have seen in the past 12 months, the level of proactive policing – where neighbourhood teams have been working in tandem with the Road Crime Team, Roads Policing Group and the new Rural Taskforce – is set to increase further still.

As part of ‘Operation Hawk’, we will continue to pile the pressure on cross-border criminals who mistakenly think they can take advantage of our towns and countryside.

We will be using our sophisticated network of fixed and mobile ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) cameras, as well as sharing intelligence with neighbouring forces and the valuable information provided by volunteer watch schemes, to actively target known and suspected offenders.

For this year and beyond, there will be no let-up in our relentless pursuit of those who try to inflict misery on our residents.

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We simply will not accept it and neither will you, the good folk of the Harrogate District and surrounding communities.

Speaking of which, there are two New Year resolutions that I urge everybody to take on board this year.

The first is to support North Yorkshire Police’s ongoing ‘Call it in’ campaign.

If you see someone or something suspicious in your community, report the information to the police by calling 101.

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This type of information, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, is absolutely crucial to effective policing.

So please don’t hesitate – ‘call it in’.

The second resolution is re-emphasising some good old-fashioned crime prevention advice that has stood the test of time.

Please make sure you lock your doors and windows on your property and your vehicles.

I know this may sound obvious, but you would be amazed how many times people forget to do it and therefore unwittingly create temptation for opportunistic criminals.

By working together and being more vigilant in our communities and at home, let’s make 2017 a safe and secure one.

Best wishes to you all.

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