New road force targets criminals on move
Sep 18 2008 by Andrew Hirst, Huddersfield Daily Examiner
Road force targets criminals on move
Chief Insp Hunter added: “If you are a criminal who moves from one force area to another to commit crimes then you can expect this team to be coming after you. Criminals will no longer be able to transcend force boundaries to get away with committing crimes.
“The difference with the Regional Roads Policing Team compared with existing force roads policing teams is that they are not traffic officers looking for people committing traffic offences. This team is looking for people who specifically use the region’s road networks to commit crimes – be that a burglary in Barnsley or drug dealers using the M1.”
Officers from the team will be all over the region – one day they may be on the moors in North Yorkshire and the next in Huddersfield town centre.
South Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Meredydd Hughes, speaking on behalf of the four Yorkshire and Humber chief constables, said: “All four forces are committed to targeting serious criminals. By working together, we can create a Regional Roads Policing Team which is a cost-effective way to fight crime – good news for the police and the tax payer.
“We know that by working together we can be more effective than if we work separately. This represents the future of policing.’’
A crime campaign spanning all four forces last year to target travelling criminals resulted in dozens of arrests, drug hauls and the seizure of more than 50 uninsured vehicles.
