Operation Shield: Humberside Police set to launch new initiative to make communities safer in East Yorkshire

Operation Shield is a new force-wide proactive initiative that delivers a surge of extra resources and focuses on clamping down on crime in hotspot locations to identify and target criminals that cause the most harm to our communities.

Over the next three months, Humberside Police officers will be out in force across the region, ramping up their work to identify suspects involved in a whole host of crimes.

This includes burglary, robbery and antisocial behaviour, as well as protecting vulnerable people by targeting sexual offenders and perpetrators of domestic abuse.

The teams will also be carrying out warrants across the Humberside force area, which includes Bridlington.

They will be proactively seeking and arresting criminals, and seizing any illegal items such as drugs and weapons, to disrupt and dismantle organised crime groups linked to drug related offences, county lines and violent crime.

There is also a specially selected team compromising of detectives, officers and staff from CID, PVP, NPT, Roads Policing, Patrol and Major Crime to detect and deter criminals from every angle.

Chief Constable Paul Anderson said: “Operation Shield will be relentless in pursuing and targeting criminals who bring distress and harm to our communities.

“Operation Shield is building on the firm foundations of Op Galaxy, an operation which was established in 2019 and successfully reduced and disrupted those committing criminality across our region.

"However, for this intensive period of enhanced action, the team has been expanded and has much more resources available and dedicated teams to tackle a wide range of criminality.

“We will be making the lives of criminals very uncomfortable, and our message to those involved in criminality is very clear; your actions will not be tolerated, and we will find you and ensure you are held accountable for your crimes.

“We are committed to keeping our communities safe and the difference that our officers will make throughout the month will have a long-term impact for the people that live in, visit, and work in the Humberside area.

“Our local communities can expect to see an increased presence from our uniformed and plain clothed officers, particularly in areas where crime rates and antisocial behaviour incidents are more prevalent.

“After the three months of intensive action, our work doesn’t just end there. We will still be incredibly visible with the Operation Shield team continuing in its previous form, proactively targeting criminals, and your local NPTs being highly visible in your communities and listening to concerns, as well as providing updates on the work being carried out to make your communities safer.

“We will always do everything we possibly can to identify and arrest those who have committed crimes across the Humberside force area, to ensure our residents feel safe and protected and justice is achieved for any victim of crime.”