North Yorkshire Police arrest multiple suspects in 24 hours during Operation Tornado in Harrogate
A number of suspects have been arrested within 24 hours as part of an intensified police operation in Harrogate targeting burglary, drug dealing and fraud.
It was part of Operation Tornado - a big push on things North Yorkshire Police do every day to ensure North Yorkshire remains one of England's safest counties.
High-visibility patrols in town centres and residential areas also talked to hundreds of residents as they tackled the issues that matter most to communities.
The results from across the Harrogate district include:
- Two burglary arrests as North Yorkshire Police continues to prioritise reducing burglary and going after offenders
- A drugs warrant in Jennyfields, resulting in a man being arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, which were seized
- Arrests in connection with other offences including rape, breaching a restraining order and fraud
- The seizure of several large bags of illegal counterfeit tobacco and vape products worth £2,000 to £3,000 from a shop in Harrogate during a joint visit with Trading Standards
- Patrols of residential areas where residents have reported anti-social behaviour and drug use, including Bilton and areas around Harrogate town centre
- Retail crime patrols, working with businesses to target shop thieves and prevent thefts
- Joint visits with immigration officials to specific businesses, which recovered an offensive weapon from one location
- Deployments at Harrogate station to target criminals using the rail network to enter Harrogate
- Road policing patrols to stop criminals as they enter North Yorkshire and deal with motoring offences such as drink driving, uninsured vehicles driving while using a mobile phone
Inspector Greg Davies, of Harrogate Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “You could say this was all in a day’s work – but police officers do these things every day of the year.
“So while Operation Tornado has been highly effective, it isn’t just a ‘one-and-done’.
“It builds on the policing we do 365 days a year by allowing us to intensify our resources in a specific area and on specific things that communities are telling us they want us to tackle.
“In other words, we listen to people’s concerns, we maximise our resources in a specific area then we respond with full impact.”
North Yorkshire Police does Operation Tornado deployments each month in different areas of the county - but always prioritising the things that matter to communities and hitting criminality hard.
Inspector Davies added: “It was great to meet everyone while we were on the beat, listen to their concerns and talk about how we can making their community even safer.
“This work continues day after day – we’ll be making arrests day after day, patrolling communities day after day and making North Yorkshire a tougher place for criminals day after day.”