Five-night crackdown results in 65 arrests

Police in West Yorkshire targeted criminals who travel in and through the region looking to commit crime and in an operation spanning five nights officers used Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology, to track down and arrest criminals.

By using ANPR cameras, officers are quickly informed if a stolen vehicle or a vehicle suspected of being involved in crime has been identified.

As well as numerous cameras at fixed sites throughout West Yorkshire, officers have vehicles fitted with cameras linked to ANPR and can respond to a suspect vehicle instantly if an ANPR report is triggered by a passing car.

Chief Insp Neil Hunter, head of roads policing for West Yorkshire Police said: “Each night our officers were briefed with the latest intelligence about stolen cars.

“The latest operation included additional Officers co-ordinating vehicle movements across surrounding police areas using ANPR and directing the patrolling officers to the locations where the stolen vehicles were likely to be.

“Over the five nights, 65 suspects were arrested and nine stolen vehicles recovered.

“The arrests were for burglary, vehicle theft and going equipped to steal.”

“The success of the latest operation was a result of good communications between officers tasked with locating and arresting burglars and car thieves.”

Chief Insp Hunter added last night: “The combined effort of linking all surrounding ANPR systems as well as radio links across the force area and with other forces made it very difficult for any criminal to travel at night unnoticed.

“The message to those intent of committing crime under the cover of darkness is that their vehicle movements are being checked and they will be tracked down and arrested.”