05 Oct Multi-agency operation in #Witham leads to four arrests
Officers and Special Constables from Braintree and Uttlesford Community Policing Team (CPT) held a four day operation with partner agencies to tackle crime in Witham
From Thursday September 29 until Sunday October 2, officers from Braintree and Uttlesford CPT worked with officers from our Operational Support Group (OSG), officers from our Special Constabulary, Braintree District Council and Trading Standards on an operation to tackle criminality in the area.
Following a number of reports of anti-social behaviour in Wulvesford and parts of Allectus Way, Witham, a dispersal order was put in place by Essex Police from 6pm on Friday September 30 until 6pm Sunday October 2.
The order enabled officers to order anyone to leave the area if they had reasonable grounds to believe the person had been or was likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to residents.
Anyone who refused to leave the area once directed or returned within the period set could be arrested and, if convicted, they could face up to a three month prison sentence and a £2,500 fine.
On September 29, CPT officers were supported by OSG officers to execute two warrants. The first warrant was executed at a residential property in Peel Crescent, Braintree.
Acting on information from the public, officers obtained a warrant from the courts to search the premises and found a cultivation set up to grow cannabis plants inside the address.
A 26-year-old man from Braintree was arrested on suspicion of cultivation of cannabis and has been bailed pending further enquires.
Another warranted was executed later that day in Yare Avenue, Witham where a 22-year-old man was arrested and later charged for possession of cannabis and a warrant was also out for his arrest for failing to appear at court. A 16-year-old boy was also arrested for possession of cannabis. He was bailed pending further enquiries.
On September 30, an ANPR operation in Witham was carried out to target and disrupt criminals using roads in the area. Twelve vehicles were stopped and two vehicles were seized for being driven on the roads without valid insurance.
On October 1, CPT officers conducted 10 robust licensing checks on licensed premises in Witham where drugs wipes were used. Later that evening, along with Trading Standards, an operation using two young people to do a test purchase of alcohol was carried out on a licenced premises in Witham. The premises failed the test purchase and further action will be taken.
Also during that evening, Braintree District Council provided two Environmental Health officers to patrol alongside police officers in Witham between 5pm – 11pm to issue tickets for any littering offences. No tickets were issued during this period.
On October 2, officers executed a warrant of arrest for a woman that had failed to appear at court. A 25-year-old woman was arrested in Braintree
During the four day operation partner agency work with Greenfields was carried out to sign up a family in Witham to an Anti-Social Behaviour Contract and an application has been made for a Criminal behaviour Order for a male residing in Witham.
Sergeant Tom Bastendorff said: “We’ve had a successful weekend working with our partners to tackle crime in Witham and surrounding areas. By providing high visibility patrols and carrying out dedicate operations in the area, we have not only tackled criminals during that time period but we have disrupted future criminality and will continue to do so with further operations with our partners.”
Cllr Wendy Schmitt, Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Community Safety at Braintree District Council said: “The operation at the weekend was part of a scheduled programme of activity, this was a great example of partnership working between Braintree District Council and Essex Police to deal with issues relating to anti-social behaviour, environmental protection, trading standards including underage sales and licensing.
“Bringing together a variety of agencies to work together on identifying local issues and developing solutions to these can only have a greater impact on the residents of the Braintree District.”
