A BARNSLEY-WIDE crime clampdown which was tailored to residents’ concerns took place yesterday and involved 130 police officers.
The town’s six neighbourhood hubs, based in the town centre, Cudworth, Goldthorpe, Kendray, Penistone and Royston, took part in Operation Duxford which centred around information gathered from local crime meetings.
Although the Duxford format usually focuses on one specific problem, yesterday’s was about putting the community’s concerns first as each district has its own problems.
Antisocial behaviour, illegal vehicles, drugs and burglary topped the agenda, which resulted in multiple arrests and a ‘large quantity’ of suspended Class A drugs being recovered from a property in the Harborough Hill Road area.
At another property in Lundwood, a quantity of suspected amphetamine was also recovered.
Inspector Andy Norton told the Chronicle: “Penistone, for example, has a main concern involving rural crime, something that’s obviously not an issue in Barnsley town centre.
“Duxford aims to flush out criminal activity, protect vulnerable people and engage with the local community and that’s what each team did.
“Tackling antisocial behaviour remains a concern to most, so work has been done on tackling offenders particularly with regards to off-road bikers, while a series of vehicle operations took place to stop criminals from using Barnsley’s roads.”
