Watch as I join police officers on morning raids to tackle alleged crimes including drug offences and burglary in Sunderland

Northumbria Police was out in force today (January 10) as part of Operation Impact which is looking to tackle crime in local neighbourhoods.

There have currently been nine people arrested for alleged offences.

A man in his 40s has been arrested on suspicion of possession of drugs with intent to supply, whilst a man in his 50s and two men in their 30s have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to steal motor vehicles.

A woman and two men in their 20s have been arrested on suspicion of burglary whilst a man in his 50s and a man in his 30s have been arrested for failing to attend court.

The operation was led by Sunderland Area Commander Chief Superintendent Mark Hall who said: “This morning there has been a number of warrants executed simultaneously at addresses across the city as well as arrests made for wanted individuals.

“So far there has been one person arrested on suspicion of possession of drugs with intent to supply and three individuals on suspicion of conspiracy to steal motor vehicles.

“We are out responding to a variety of issues, from antisocial behaviour through to immigration matters.”

Once a warrant has been issued, specialist officers “secure entry” to a property before officers and search dogs then carryout a search of the property to locate drugs, offensive weapons or any other evidence of potential criminal activity.

Superintendent Hall was keen to stress the important role played by the general public in helping to tackle crime and persistent offenders in their local area.

He said: “I really want to stress that the activity being carried out today is driven by the community.

“We have some fantastic links with our community who come forward and let us know about their concerns, what is happening in their neighbourhoods and we are able to take action against that.

“The arrests are based on the feedback we get from our partners and our communities. We simply could not police what we do without that public support and today’s activity through Operation Impact is another way to show that we will do all that we can to improve trust and confidence.”

As part of the operation, police officers were also engaging in a number of activities with local communities to “build trust” and provide reassurance that criminal activity is being dealt with.

Superintendent Hall added: “It’s vitally important to have a visual presence in the city to provide that reassurance to the public and to also explain why we are here and that we are taking action on their concerns.”

In total, seven house searches have been conducted and two vehicles seized.