Almost 50 people were arrested during West Yorkshire’s big crime crackdown at the weekend.
Over the four days of the extended Bank Holiday, Operation Viper 4 resulted in 49 arrests and 282 people being stopped and spoken to.
Some 359 vehicles were pulled over and 32 were seized. Five stolen vehicles were recovered.
There was a heavy police presence across West Yorkshire and Supt Pat Casserly, who led the operation, said: “It is clear the message is getting out there with one convicted offender telling officers that he was going home because ‘the big dogs are out.’”
Officers from the Operations Division made 24 arrests during the third and fourth days for offences including burglary, drug possession and supply, possession of an offensive weapon, assault and drink-driving.
Nineteen vehicles were seized including a Ford Mondeo and a Ford Focus which were connected to two fail to stop offences. A Citroen Nemo van, reported stolen in April, was also recovered.
Towards the end of the operation police raided a suspected cannabis factory in Huddersfield and found 17 fully-grown plants.
Supt Casserly said the arrests were substantial but added: “Operation Viper is not just about getting people in custody but also preventing offences happening in the first place by putting the fear back on the criminals.
“This disruption of criminal activity was reflected across West Yorkshire with the anticipated Bank Holiday increase in burglary not materialising.
“Reported burglaries over the Bank Holiday weekend were down 20% compared to last year and over the last month as a whole we have seen 176 fewer offences reported than the same period last year.
“It is not just about statistics on a spreadsheet though. Every time a burglar is constrained by our tactics it means there is another family living in West Yorkshire who have not had to experience the devastating effect of this crime.”
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