Eleven arrested in south Cumbria acquisitive crime crackdown Police in south Cumbria have this week ran an operation that has targeted acquisitive crime. Officers from a number of departments have focused on this crime type in the south Cumbria area and in particular Barrow-in-Furness. This is following concerns and intelligence raised by members of the public to officers and PCSOs. The operation, named Operation Specialised, also linked into drug supply due to the connection between drugs and acquisitive crime. During the week, warrants were executed on seven addresses and over 150 vehicles were stopped and checked by the Constabulary’s ANPR team. This resulted in nine arrests being made: • Mareille Gold, aged 42, of Storey Square, Barrow, was charged in possession of Class A controlled drugs, namely methadone. She is due to appear at Furness & District Magistrates Court on the 2nd October. • Steven Dyer, aged 41, of Egerton Court, Barrow, was charged in connection with theft. He was due to appear at Furness & District Magistrates Court on the 15th September. • Ian Wharton, aged 38, of School Street was charged in connection with abstracting electricity. He is due to appear at Furness & District Magistrates Court on the 30th September. • A 35 year old man from Ulverston was arrested on suspicion of producing a Class B controlled drug, namely cannabis. He received a caution. • A 41 year old woman from Barrow was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply drugs. She has been bailed until 30th October. • A 25 year old man from Barrow was arrested on suspicion of assault causing actual bodily harm. He has been bailed until 8th October. • A 23 year old man from Barrow was arrested on suspicion of abstracting electricity. He has been bailed until 22nd October. • A 42 year old man from Barrow was arrested on suspicion of a non-payment of a fine. He was bailed to court. • A 33 year old woman from Barrow was arrested on suspicion of a non-payment of a fine. She was bailed to court. • A 24 year old woman from Barrow was arrested on suspicion of a non-payment of a fine. She was bailed to court. • A 23 year old man from Barrow was arrested on suspicion of assault causing actual bodily harm and taking a vehicle without consent. He is currently in custody helping officers with their enquiries. A number of stolen goods and controlled drugs were recovered including amphetamine and cocaine worth a street value of £5,000 collectively. Sergeant Jim Bailey said: "This week saw numerous policing departments working together to focus on acquisitive crime and we are pleased with the number of arrests that have been made. "This is not a one-off, police in south Cumbria execute warrants on addresses believed to be linked to crime every week of the year and we will continue to do so in the battle against acquisitive crime. "There is a clear link between acquisitive crime and drugs. Criminals are opportunists who steal and burgle in order to make money to feed their drug habits. This is no excuse, the impact this has on innocent members of the community will not be tolerated by police and we will continue to investigate and bring offenders to justice. "The message is clear, one burglary is too many and we will continue to crackdown on this behaviour." Chief Inspector David Bosson said: "I'd like to reassure the public that burglary is a key priority for police in the south Cumbria area and there is lot of hard work that our officers are conducting in both preventing and detecting crime. We are not complacent and believe that there is always room to improve. “Burglaries can leave a lasting impact on a victim, changing their mind-set on how safe they feel in their own home and community. Twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, officers strive to make areas across south Cumbria a safe place to live, work and visit. "We would also like to send out a strong message to those that do engage in acquisitive or drug related crime. We are targeting you and we will do everything in our power to bring you to justice. “To do this we need the help and support of members of the public. The information that the public provide about suspicious activity is absolutely vital in order for us to our job. With this information we can act to prevent a crime from occurring or investigate one that has happened. “It doesn’t matter how insignificant or trivial you may feel the information is, intelligence received can trigger positive action like this week’s operation.” Police & Crime Commissioner Richard Rhodes said: “I welcome operations such as this, and hope that this level of activity reinforces the message that the police will not hesitate to bring to justice, those who take part in such criminal activities.” If you have information on suspicious activity in your area please contact police on 101 or call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

• published: 19 Sep 2014
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