Fourteen suspects arrested in dawn raids across Sunderland and South Tyneside
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Plain-clothed officers hit the streets to identify and arrest suspects wanted in connection with a range of knife crime and domestic-related offences.
In total, 14 people from Sunderland and South Tyneside were arrested and brought into custody, as police used unmarked vehicles to spring an early-morning surprise.
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Hide AdThe day of action, which took place on Wednesday, December 18, forms part of the ongoing action against knife crime and serious violence being undertaken by Northumbria Police.
Earlier this year, the force was allocated more than £2.3million from the Government’s Serious Violence Fund.
Sergeant Dave Green, who led the operation, said: “This day of action was a result of some outstanding teamwork as individuals wanted in connection with knife and domestic-related crime across our region were arrested and brought into custody.
“The coordinated operation followed extensive intelligence gathering by a team of officers and highlights our front-foot approach in identifying and pursuing suspected offenders.
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Hide Ad“We were delighted with how the operation went, with a number of those detained subsequently charged or escorted to court to answer breach of orders.
“But this day of action was not a one-off and I would like to reassure our communities that we will continue to detect and disrupt serious criminality in our region and take action against those involved.”
Who was arrested?
Among those arrested was a 31-year-old man from Jarrow wanted in connection with a knife-point robbery in the town.
He remains under investigation for the robbery but has since been charged with 14 offences including theft, fraud by false representation and handling stolen goods. He is due to appear in court in January 2020.
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Hide AdA 34-year-old man from Sunderland has been charged with breaching a restraining order, while six people were escorted to court to answer a range of offences including theft, assault, and possession of a bladed or pointed article.
Two men have been released on police bail while another remains under investigation. Three others have been released with no further action to be taken.
Between April and October this year, there was a 13% reduction in knife-enabled serious violence across the force and 23% reduction in victims under the age of 25.
As a result of the additional activity, Northumbria Police’s use of stop and searches has increased by 38% and there has been a 44% increase in stop and searches relating to possession of a weapon.
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Hide AdAssistant Chief Constable Helen Mcmillan added: “As a force, we take a very strong stance on knife crime and all forms of serious violence.
“Our area continues to experience lower levels of knife crime than other big cities across the country, but we are not in any way complacent.
“We will continue to take a proactive approach, as shown with this operation in Sunderland and South Tyneside this week, to ensure the North East remains a very safe place to live and work.”