North Yorkshire Chief Constable announces new operation to tackle crime
Operation Tornado will take place every month in different parts of the County
Last updated 25th Apr 2024
A planned day of targeted disruption and crime prevention has led to nine arrests in North Yorkshire
Operation Tornado is a high intensity day of activity which is driven by North Yorkshire Police’s new Chief Constable, Tim Forber. It was held in York and Selby on Tuesday 23 April 2024 and will be mirrored on a monthly basis in a different geographical command area in North Yorkshire.
The intensive deployment of PCSOs, police officers and partners focused on tackling three key issues, road safety, retail crime, and burglary prevention in York, Selby and the surrounding villages. In total 9 arrests were made, two of these arrests were of suspects who were wanted in relation to a violent incident in York.
Chief Constable Tim Forber commented: “Operation Tornado is a representation of our work in local communities on a day-to-day basis."
“ Neighbourhood policing is at the very core of what we do. Working closely with partners and local communities, we will continue our fight to stamp out all levels of criminality that have such a toxic impact on people’s lives.
“Today’s operation sends out a strong message that coming to North Yorkshire to commit crime is not worth the risk.”
In York City Centre and Selby Town Centre plain-clothed officers were deployed to blend in with shoppers to tackle retail crime. High-visibility officers were on hand to provide a rapid response to any offences which were detected by the plain clothed team. Patrols were also carried out with key partners which included the British Transport Police, City of York Council, North Yorkshire Council and York Bid to engage with local businesses. The Operational Support Unit were used to arrest several key suspects who were wanted in connection with retail crime.
The third theme of the day was burglary prevention. Officers and PCSOs from the Neighbourhood Policing team and Rural Task Force focused on target hardening in communities that have been previously impacted by burglary. The team engaged with residents and proactively implemented crime prevention measures to protect possessions and property.
Operation Tornado was staffed by existing command resources who were bolstered with specialist teams from across the force. On a monthly basis it will create a day of heightened activity and enhance the work that is already under way to address concerns raised by local residents.
Temporary Superintendent Jon Aldred who planned the day of activity commented:
“We have used today to take decisive action to address the issues that impact our communities.
“This operation has demonstrated the power of collaborative work between the police and partner agencies. It has sent out a strong message to those who engage in criminal activities that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated.
“Our work doesn’t stop here, my appeal to members of the public is to continue to help us by reporting any crime or anti-social behaviour on the North Yorkshire Police website or by calling 101 or 999.”