THOUSANDS of pounds in cash, large quantities of drugs and off-road bikes were seized during a huge police operation in Barnsley on Wednesday.
The return of Operation Duxford saw scores of officers focus on matters which the public have brought up at local police meetings across the borough.
A total of 15 arrests were made for offences including possession with intent to supply, fail to appear warrants, robbery, theft, offensive weapons and immigration offences.
Seven search warrants relating to drugs were undertaken, which yielded £6,000 in cash and ‘large quantities’ of both Class A and Class B substances being seized.
Six off-road bikes were taken by the police, as were three other vehicles, while one motorist was arrested for being over the prescribed limit.
Chief Inspector Natalie Gilmour said: “Operation Duxford provides us with the opportunity to showcase to the public what we are doing every day to tackle crime across Barnsley.
“For this Duxford we really focused on what matters to residents after feedback from local community meetings and what they have been saying to their local officers.
“We prioritised activity around neighbourhood crime, antisocial behaviour - specially off-road bikes - and rural crime while also targeting those that cause the most harm.
“We had support from specially-trained teams, additional resources from across the wider force and a number of departments from Barnsley Council during the day.
“This allowed us to place our resources in areas which needed them the most.
“A lot of the activity seen on Wednesday was centred around information and intelligence which has been provided by our communities.
“They know their local area more than anyone else, and the information they provide supports directing our activities during these high-intensity days of action.
“Wednesday’s activities saw a large number of arrests being made, quantities of cash, drugs, weapons and vehicles being seized along with the safeguarding of some of the most vulnerable members of our community.”
Yesterday, another police-led scheme - Operation Hawthorne - saw officers focus their efforts on criminality carried out in more rural spots.
A spokesperson added: “Rural crime can have a devastating and detrimental impact on residents and businesses alike.
“It leaves those living in rural communities and farmers and business owners feeling even more isolated.
“Theft of machinery or damage to crops and fields can significantly affect farmers, not just financially but it can also impact on insurance premiums, food prices and damage local communities.
“We want to ensure that we are in a position to respond appropriately.
“We’re improving our visibility in our rural communities and working with them to respond quickly to reports of crime.”
