POLICE officers swarmed Barnsley for a huge anti-crime crackdown on Wednesday which saw them seize thousands of illegal cigarettes and uncover a so-called vehicle ‘chop shop’
Operation Duxford is a large-scale and highly-visible police and community initiative, dedicated to tackling crime and safeguarding vulnerable residents.
Throughout the day officers had a specific focus on off-road bikes, neighbourhoods and protecting vulnerable residents from organised groups peddling drugs.
A total of 35,000 illegal cigs were seized and a large cannabis factory was discovered at Carlton Industrial Estate, before the chop shop was uncovered in Kendray which contained multiple stolen vehicles including tractors and cars.
Twenty-one dogs were seized by the RSPCA and five people were arrested for animal neglect.
Superintendent Mark James said: “Operation Duxford is so iconic because of what it stands for in the eyes of the public.
“We have seen the rise of the issue of ‘cuckooing’ over the last few years in terms of organised crime gangs and how they attempt to hijack vulnerable people in the community.
“They target their locations and their houses.
“So, as it has grown over the years, Duxford has become a bit more nuanced around some of the issues we tackle.”
To start things off, around 150 police officers gathered in the morning for a briefing.
The operation began ten years ago as an opportunity for South Yorkshire Police to improve their reputation.
Supt James said that they were struggling around ‘performance, legacy, reputation and recruitment’ at the time of its inception.
Within the first few hours of the operation this week several warrants were executed including some for shoplifting, drug dealing and involvement in organised crime.
He added: “The first thing for me in terms of success is that the public are happy to see us.
“We are out there dealing with the issues they want and we get some positive feedback from that.
“The second is tangible results - we have seized millions of pounds worth of drugs over the years and arrested hundreds of people.
“We have protected and looked after hundreds of people who have needed our help over the years, as a consequence of this operation.”
Chief Inspector Natalie Gilmour said Duxford provides the force to showcase what’s being done in their communities.
“The aim of Wednesday was to amplify the message that we are out there and we are looking out for our community.
“Operation Duxford provides us with the opportunity to showcase to the public what we are doing every day to tackle crime across Barnsley.
“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.”
