Police have arrested more than 100 people and executed more than 150 warrants in a two week crackdown on violent crime across the north-east.
Community policing teams assisted by officers from the Divisional Alcohol and Violence Reduction Unit (DAVRU) were deployed to Operation PINE to target abusive offenders.
During the operation – which took place between Monday, August 8, 2016 and last Friday – 108 people were also arrested on warrants for outstanding crimes such as failure to appear at court, failure to comply with court orders and non-payment of fines.
A total of 89 people were arrested on apprehension warrants while 19 were dealt with by officers for failing to pay fines – amounting to a total of £15,863.
Sergeant Brian Johnston of the DAVRU, who led the operation, said: “As a direct result of collaboration between specialist departments, community policing teams and most importantly the communities themselves, a meaningful impact has been made on the number of people wanted on warrants across the north-east.
“This should go out as a message to those who fail to attend court or fail to pay fines that we will take robust action to ensure that you are brought before the court again, potentially to face further action.”
Chief Inspector Murray Main, who is leading Operation PINE, said: “This latest course of action builds on our promise to communities in the north-east that we will target those responsible for committing crime and also those people that flaunt the criminal justice system.
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