Op Target: Crime crackdown continues in St Helens

We were in St Helens today (14^th Nov) carrying out operational activity aiming to disrupt and arrest those involved in criminal activity.

This operation is part of a force wide initiative ‘Operation Target’, tackling serious and violent crime, including gun and knife crime, serious assaults, armed robberies, murder investigations, violence in night time economy, county lines and drug use.

Today’s operation consisted of a range of activity focused around the Sutton Park, Sherdley Park, Westfield Estate, The Shires and Thatto Heath areas. This included work with our partner agencies to conduct land searches, road side checks, uniformed and unmarked patrols in the area and address warrants.

Officers arrested a 26 year old man from St Helens on suspicion of possession with intent to supply drugs following a warrant in Peterlee Close.

Four others were also arrested for offences linked to burglary, drug driving and no bail warrants.   Following a road side traffic operation on Park Road and Robins Lane, eight tickets were issued for traffic offences and one car being seized for no insurance.

Inspector Neil Birkett from the St Helens Targeted Policing team said:  “I’m pleased to inform those living in St Helens that because of this operation, we managed to arrest a number of people and recovered a large amount of drugs.

“We are really pleased with how the operation went and want to thank those who have already spoken to us and shared information about criminality in their area and encourage others to do the same.

“It will come as no surprise, that alongside our investigations, a lot of this success is down to information received from those living and working in the area and I hope this activity shows that by speaking to us, anonymously or not and sharing your concerns helps us massively to put offenders being bars."

Anyone who has information about drug dealing in the community or knows where weapons are being stored or who is using them can contact us by sending a DM to @MerPolCC, calling 101 or contacting @CrimestoppersUK anonymously on 0800 555 111.