Twenty Arrests Made

Leigh On Sea News: Twenty Arrests Made – A DRIVER suspected of being impaired by drugs, a man arrested over immigration offences, a large knife recovered from a vehicle and a significant cannabis seizure were among the results of a dedicated roads policing operation in Southend.
Officers carried out Operation Limit across the district on Saturday 4 July, targeting drink and drug driving, traffic offences and criminality linked to the road network.
While road safety remains the primary focus of Essex Police’s Roads Policing Unit, the operation once again highlighted how routine traffic stops can uncover wider offending and help keep communities safe.
During the day, officers issued 97 Traffic Offence Reports (TORs), recorded 198 speed-related offences in 30mph limits, seized 12 vehicles and made 20 arrests. Seventeen of those arrests involved drug driving.
Those figures can be added to the 205 drug drivers arrested this year to the end of May, almost double the 111 drink drivers in the same period.
A police statement said: “Driving while unfit is incredibly dangerous because it affects a driver’s ability to react, concentrate and make safe decisions.
“Whether someone is impaired by drugs or alcohol, or both, their judgement and reaction times can be significantly reduced, increasing the risk of a serious or fatal collision. By acting against unfit drivers, we are helping to protect everyone who uses Essex’s roads.
“Roads Policing officers are uniquely placed to identify criminal activity. Criminals often rely on the road network to travel, transport drugs, carry weapons and commit offences. By proactively targeting road traffic offences, officers regularly uncover wider criminality which may otherwise go undetected.
“One arrest followed reports of a collision involving a driver believed to be unfit to drive. Witnesses reported the vehicle swerving across the road before the driver abandoned the car. He later returned and was arrested on suspicion of drug driving.
“In another incident, a car driver attempted to evade police patrols, but his efforts ended abruptly when he turned into a dead-end road where he was arrested on suspicion of immigration offences.
“A routine vehicle stop involving four occupants not wearing seatbelts also led to more serious offences being uncovered. The driver was arrested on suspicion of drug driving, while a passenger was arrested on suspicion of possessing a large knife found inside the vehicle.
Officers also stopped a vehicle after it failed to stop at a red traffic light. Searches of the vehicle led to the discovery of a large quantity of cannabis in a box stored in the boot. What began as a straightforward road traffic matter quickly became a drugs investigation with a person arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply cannabis.
“The results from Operation Limit demonstrate how roads policing is about far more than enforcing traffic laws. Every vehicle stop has the potential to uncover wider criminality, remove dangerous individuals from the roads and prevent harm to local communities.
“Whether identifying suspected drug drivers, recovering weapons, disrupting drug supply or locating people wanted for other offences, roads policing officers play a vital role in protecting the public. By targeting those who ignore the law on Essex’s roads, officers are helping to reduce crime, prevent serious collisions and make communities safer for everyone.
“Essex Police will continue to carry out enforcement activity across the county as part of its commitment to reducing casualties, targeting offenders and keeping people safe on the roads.”
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