Cars seized and arrests made in clampdown on vehicle crime
Cars have been seized and arrests have been made in a clampdown on vehicle crime in Sunderland.
Officers from the Safer Hendon Hub, Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) and Operation Capio – Northumbria Police’s dedicated motorbike disorder team - hit the streets of Hendon with Sunderland City Council and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).
The team were looking to tackle speeding and defective vehicles, scrap vehicles, and abandoned vehicles as well as carrying out drug driving checks.
The teams stopped and engaged with scrap collectors and waste carriers, inspecting the vehicles’ condition, documents and licencing as well as dealing with abandoned and nuisance vehicles.
A total of 36 vehicles and their drivers were subject to formal action including three vehicles being seized.
Five drivers were handed Vehicle Defect Rectification Scheme (VDRS) notices while four were reported to the DVLA for no vehicle excise licence.
Northumbria Police Sergeant Craig Sherriff said: “There’s never an excuse for dangerous driving or flouting the law when it comes to our roads.
“Not only could you be putting yourself in danger, but you could also be gambling with someone else’s safety too.
“We want the community of Hendon to know we are listening to you, and I hope this day of action proves just that.
“Our officers are there to address issues and make the streets of Hendon a safer place to be for everyone living there.
“Thank you to those of you who took the time to stop and talk to us on that day – it was great to see so many of you and understand any concerns you may have.
“Please continue to work with us by reporting suspected criminality in your local area, it really helps us focus our resources on what matters to you the most.”
Marian Kitson, DVSA Director of Enforcement said: “DVSA’s priority is to keep everyone protected from unsafe vehicles and drivers.
“We’re pleased to have worked in partnership with Northumbria Police on this multi-agency operation and to have taken action against drivers and operators who flout the law and their responsibilities.
“We will always act where non-compliance is detected, and depending on the severity of the breach, this may result in prohibitions, fixed penalties, prosecutions or vehicle impounding.”
The council’s Community Safety Specialists examined vehicles for compliance with licensing requirements and served eight Community Protection Warnings (CPW) on individuals identified as contributing to ongoing anti-social behaviour (ASB) and environmental issues in the Hendon area.
Councillor Kelly Chequer, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Safer Communities at Sunderland City Council, said: “Days of action like this are all about keeping our communities safe.
“So it’s great to see council teams working alongside officers from Northumbria Police as part of the Safer Hendon Hub, to tackle the issues that matter most to local people.
“This was about disrupting known offenders, removing unsafe and uninsured vehicles from our roads and sending a clear message that Hendon is being protected by the Safer Hendon Hub and its partners.
“We know anti-social behaviour is a big concern for our residents. We also know that working in partnership with the police and other key partners is incredibly effective in tackling it.
“That’s why we set up the new community safety hubs in Hendon, Pennywell and Concord and Sulgrave, with the police, fire service, community groups and other key partners to work with communities, listen to their concerns and take action to address these on their behalf. It’s fantastic to seeing them having a real and visible impact on making our streets safer.”
Anyone with concerns about suspected criminality should send Northumbria Police a direct message on social media or via the ‘report it’ page on their website.
You can also call 101.