Your priorities are chosen quarterly and are based upon information gathered through NHL (Neighbourhood Link), social media, local engagement, and emerging crime trends. You have stated that the following key themes are important to you.
#YouSaidWeDid
Priority 1: Issues associated with the Night Time Economy
A number of issues have been raised around the Night Time Economy in Hinckley Town Centre.
Priority 2: Shop Theft and theft from person offences in Hinckley Town Centre
The Hinckley Town Centre Beat Team work closely with local partners and businesses to deter and detect theft across the town.
Shop Theft is a concern to local and national retailers.
Theft from person (pickpocket) offences have also been identified as organised groups try to commit theft offences in busy town centres. Sales of counterfeit goods has also been raised by local retailers.
Priority 3: Anti-Social Behaviour across Hinckley Town Centre.
There has been a pattern of anti-social behaviour which has been identified as a current community issue occurring in the location of Hinckley Town Centre.
#WeDid - What we are doing
Operation Flux got underway in Hinckley during December with the assistance of our Roads Policing Unit. Due to the fog/mist and generally dull weather 32 vehicles were stopped in just one shift and given advice about lighting, please make sure your lights are on and use fog lights in severe reduced visibility, turn them off as soon as visibility clears and when in a queue of traffic, no one wants burnt retinas! Other offences were looked at, the driver of an Audi TT was given a traffic offence report and our recovery chaps snapped up another vehicle for No Insurance.
Back in action, this time on Roston Drive. For the naysayers of 'ain't you got nuffin better to do?', this Road Safety Op identified one drug driver very quickly, and following a vehicle failing to stop, shortly located another after they were intercepted. Both were over the limit for cocaine, driving on YOUR 30mph highly populated residential streets. Tickets for the wrong plate, reporting of misuse of trade plates, and vehicles again stopped for no lights in reduced visibility, but alas most of the shift spent in custody dealing with our arrestees.
We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who showed up to our ‘CUPPA WITH A COPPER’ in Hinckley Town Centre and it was lovely to chat with so many of you, if you missed this then we'll be back on the 2nd January 2025 so come and say hello.
Making friends
Hinckley Police, Market Bosworth Police and Blaby Police took part in a week of enforcement against the supply of drugs.
Nationally its referred to a County Line Intensification Week and locally across Leicester it was Op Gizmo-Yodels!
The week started slightly early when the Neighbourhood Priority Team spotted a car in Burbage that seemed to be having people get in the passenger seat for a few seconds and get out before moving off to another location, now either he was a rubbish taxi driver and was forgetting to take his fare on the journey or other items were being passed around. On being stopped the foolish chap was a disqualified driver and in the car a total of 123 smelly bags full of cannabis, some larger bags of cannabis, 13 deal bags of cocaine and over £1,000 in cash. A subsequent search of his home address led to further £12,000 in cash located in his sock draw! Well where else do you keep your hard earned cash in such an unpredictable economy? The subject has been released pending forensic enquiries for the drug offences and sent to court for the driving offences.
Monday saw the Neighbourhood Priority Team execute a drugs Warrant in Barwell - no drugs were located and the occupant was offered safeguarding support. Oddly enough whilst we were at the address various individuals known to the police for drug use kept arriving at the house with small amounts of cash - Not sure what the purpose of their visit was but after being searched they were sent on their way!
Our Community Engagement Officer conducted a workshop with students from Hastings High School raising awareness of County Lines, how to spot the signs and what to do if they are concerned for themselves or one of their friends. Our Blaby PCSO's spent time visiting local taxi firms to provide leaflets to their drivers to raise awareness of the exploitation of young people and vulnerable adults that may use taxi's to deliver drugs. Then in the evening one of our Hinckley PCSO's continued the diversion work at Green Towers in partnership with Leicester City Kicks a football programme that keeps young people off the streets and engaged in sport.
Tuesday saw the Neighbourhood Priority Team, supported by local officers from Hinckley, Blaby and Market Bosworth along with the Force Priority Team executed Drugs warrants at 2 addresses in Hinckley followed by 2 addresses in Glenfield. Access to some of these properties was made by some new toys that the Force Priority Team had that enabled them to cut the door in half and hey presto they were in! At one of the addresses on entering the occupants threw a cooker and a TV down the stairs to block their path and knives were found scattered on the floor once officers reached the landing. Cannabis was also found in the address. One male was arrested for Obstruct Police and Possession With Intent to Supply Cannabis. He was later dealt with out of court with a requirement to engage with a drug treatment programme.
Local children homes were visited and staff provided with information about the exploitation of children and some young people at risk of exploitation were visited and support was offered to them all.
Later in the day whilst out and about the Neighbourhood Priority Team were in Hinckley when they spotted a male coming out of a known address, as they approached him he decided to run off and after jumping a few walls and fences he was detained and 76 wraps of crack cocaine and 2 large lumps one of crack cocaine and one of Heroin were located along with over £100 in cash. He spent the rest of the day staying in one of our ensuite rooms before being released to allow forensic enquiries to be completed.
Wednesday was busy too with a further drug warrant being executed by the Neighbourhood Priority Team in Burbage and a known drug user being stopped and searched, no drugs located this time, but another empty address secured to prevent anyone gaining access and using it for illegal activity! Whilst on route to this warrant the team spotted a well known male who had been on the run for a few weeks, he was promptly detained and arrested for 6 offences including possession of drugs after trying to ditch the amphetamine he had with him!
Officers working with local partners including trading standards visited a shop in Barwell leading to 200 packets of illicit cigarettes and 1,000 illegal vapes being seized. In addition training inputs were provided to our local police cadets about County Lines and visits were made to hotels on the patch to raise awareness of how they can spot the signs and do their bit to protect young and vulnerable people.
Thursday gave us the opportunity to execute even more drugs warrants this time at 2 addresses in Stoney Stanton - again the Force Priority Team supported the Neighbourhood Priority Team and local beat teams in cutting through the door - they are getting good at it already giving access to the house in under 13 seconds! In one of the addresses 2 individuals were dealt with for possession of cannabis and at the other addresses 2 females were arrested for possession with intent to supply cannabis after 3 large bags of ‘weed’ were located.
Further engagement with the schools was completed this time with a lunch time information board that was well received by the students at The Hinckley School.
Just as the Neighbourhood Priority Team were about to head back to the station to go home, they spotted a car that just didn't seem right and a short time later it was stopped and the occupant arrested after 20 small bags of cocaine were located. Following the arrest the team stayed on duty to search the subjects home address - A further £3,000 located and ID documents in a different name - turns out in the other name he was wanted for failing to attend court! The next day following interview he was released on the drug offences and kept in for court Saturday morning for the outstanding matters - 36 hours in a police cell with just a pot noodle for company doesn't sound like much fun!
The week ended with local beat officers completing patch walks of hotspot areas, engaging with drug users to offer support and diversion programmes and further taxi leafletting during the Night Time Economy police operation in Hinckley Town Centre.
A great week - with some fantastic results and a clear message sent out to drug dealers! Remember most of our work comes as a result of information gained from our community - so if you suspect someone is up to no good then report it to us, via our online portal - Search for the Leicestershire Police Website, by calling 101 or by getting in touch with CrimeStoppers either on the phone or via their web page.
Stats for the week:
Addresses Searched: 13
Vehicles Searched: 5
People Searched:18
Drugs Found: Large Amounts of Crack Cocaine, Heroin, Cocaine, Cannabis and some Amphetamine
Cash Seized: over £15,000.
Over two days in December officers from Hinckley Neighbourhoods, Response and Neighbourhood Priority Team have been involved in Operation Storefront. A dedicated Op to tackling Shop Theft in the town centre using uniformed and plain clothed officers deployed on foot across the area. During the busiest two shopping days of the year the Friday and Saturday before Christmas, the officers had the following results.
On Friday plain clothed officers attended a report of disturbance at a Nail bar in the town centre with two people arrested for Affray. A few stop searches and reminding someone that they are not allowed to ride cycles down Castle Street the rest of the day passed of peacefully in the town centre.
On Saturday throughout the patrols one person was stopped and dealt with for selling counterfeit aftershave and perfume . Multiple stop searches were carried out, one of which resulted in a male wanted by Cheshire Police being arrested and taken into custody. A vehicle was stopped on Rugby Road initially for driving with no insurance, while doing the paperwork for that with the driver further intel came to light causing officers to search the car and driver whereby a large quantity of class A drugs were recovered. The driver was arrested for possession with intent supply class A drugs and taken to custody for CID to continue the investigation, the car was also seized and the driver reported to court for the original offence. A person was dealt with for Anti-Social street drinking inside the pedestrianised retail area of the town where there is a ban on Street Drinking.
Finally, we would like to wish you all a very happy and safe New Year.
Meet your Team - Upcoming public engagements
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