Officers on the buses to tackle crime

POLICE officers who boarded a double decker bus for a crime fighting operation in communities north east of Doncaster yesterday said the initiative had been success.

Volunteer Special Constables staged the operation in Thorne, Moorends and Stainforth, in a bid to tackle increasing reports of crime and anti-social behaviour.

The operation was organised in conjunction with public transport operator First South Yorkshire, which supplied a the bus and a driver to allow the officers to travel incognito.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Two sergeants, five Special Constables and two police community support officers boarded the bus in plain clothes on the evening of Thursday, February 23, starting at 6pm and finishing at 11.30pm.

Adrian Fuller, the deputy district officer for Doncaster’s special constabulary said the first incident tackled by officers happened when the bus was waiting at a stop Market Place, Thorne.

He added: “A group of teenagers gathered around the back of the bus. and lifted the engine cover. Their intention was to press the emergency stop button, resulting in the bus becoming immobile.

“A First maintenance engineer would then have to attend to restart the bus, delaying passengers on board and people waiting for the bus on its route.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“As this bus was carrying specials, the young people were detained and their parents contacted who attended to collect them.”

In a second incident, the bus was travelling along Station Road, Stainforth, when a car was seen to swerve and collide with a parked car, stopping further up the road.

One of the officers spoke to the driver, and noticed that the car had a strong smell of cannabis. The driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drink or drugs.

Mr Fuller added: “I feel that a positive message has been given to the local community during this operation, and we will conduct similar operations in the future.”