Drugs warrants were executed, nuisance off-road bikes destroyed and anti-social behaviour was tackled as around 100 police carried out a co-ordinated series of raids across Middlesbrough.
Suspects were rounded up and arrested as Cleveland Police launched its second Operation Artemis campaign targeting known offenders and members of organised criminal gangs, while sending out a strong message to affected communities.
The force has worked closely with residents whose lives have been blighted by anti-social behaviour or drug dealing to identify suspects and where they are stashing their goods.
A drone was also deployed to help officers keep track of off-road motorbikes and suspected criminals driving around the town.
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District Commander Temporary Superintendent Marc Anderson hopes that the day of action will show the public that they take their concerns seriously and the force will act on any information it receives.
He said: “We have proactively gone out into the community using information from them on what their priorities are so this has been linked to drugs, drug dealers, organised crime groups and off-road bikers.
“There has been four drug warrants executed, people have been arrested and drugs and weapons have been taken off the streets.”
Throughout the day, police officers were joined by colleagues from the National Crime Agency, the Harbour Police, and the North East Regional Special Operations Unit, as well Middlesbrough Council, the fire service and housing providers.
A total of 11 vehicles were seized from the Binks Street, Haywood Street, Parliament Road, and Chester Street areas of Middlesbrough.
Abandoned vehicles identified by the Environmental Team at Middlesbrough Council received a warning seven days ago, with stickers applied to windscreens. Those not removed within the seven-day period were seized.
While 21 off-road bikes were crushed in Morrisons car park in Berwick Hills to send out a strong message that nuisance bikers will not be tolerated.
Watching the seized bikes go through the crusher was Cleveland’s Police and Crime Commissioner Steve Turner.
He said: “This sends out the message that this behaviour will not be tolerated.
"We use the information from members of the public to identify the riders and where they store them - we can then seize them in a safe and secure manner.
"Some people might ask why we don't sell the bikes instead of crushing them but they would only end up in the hands of the same people."
And several arrests were made throughout the day including:
- Two men were arrested at an address in Clough Close. One man was arrested for possession with intent to supply Class B and one man was arrested for possession of Section 5 Firearms. Two off road bikes were also seized from the property.
- A man was arrested in Park South Road for Possession with intent to supply class A and B.
- On Borough Road a man was arrested for theft.
- Officers attended Valley Road and arrested a man for Section 18 wounding.
- A man in his thirties has been arrested for possession of an offensive weapon, after officers conducted a warrant in Fonteyn Court.
- And a drugs warrant in Scholars Rise led to the arrest of a woman in her forties for possession of Class A.
For more details about Operation Artemis visit the force website at www.cleveland.police.uk
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