THE public often underestimates how much we value them.
But this week has provided us with a perfect example of how the police need the public.
Every week information comes in that might help us catch criminals.
And this week, a tip-off not only led us to arrest a woman for benefit fraud but also helped find a cannabis farm.
Police mounted an operation on Sunday after an anonymous tip-off about suspected benefit fraud offences in Kirkburton.
At 9am officers from the Huddersfield South, Kirkburton and Valleys Neighbourhood Policing Teams, as well as the Department for Work and Pensions, called at a house on Turnshaws Road in Kirkburton and arrested a 36-year-old woman on suspicion of committing benefit fraud.
But, after noticing a strong smell of cannabis, officers called at a neighbouring house and found a well-established cannabis farm.
A 49-year old man was arrested and around 70 suspected cannabis plants seized.
Both the man and woman are on bail pending further enquiries.
This was a joint operation with our partners from DWP, but was only possible because of the information from a member of the public.
I’d like to thank the person who gave us the information.
Fraud is a serious matter and like any crime, is an offence that impacts on the law abiding, so I would urge anyone who thinks that they know of someone living beyond their means through the proceeds of crime to call the police or Crimestoppers.
The cannabis farm was destroyed by officers but all the soil, compost, buckets and plant pots are to be donated to the Honley Junior and Infants School.
Sgt Simon Haigh of the Valleys NPT added: “Honley Junior and Infants school has a gardening club and officers will visit the school to pass on the equipment so that it can be reused by the children.
“This was a great result for the NPT. We have closed down one cannabis farm and been able to put something back into the community.
“Using criminal assets in this way is something that we take great pleasure in doing and would welcome more information from the public to help us carry out similar operations.”
So you can see how a small piece of information can snowball into a full arrest operation ... and also uncover a cannabis factory.
The added extra to the story is that we have also been able to help out a local school. None of this would have been possible without the anonymous info passed to us by a concerned member of the public.
