TSG officers joined with local officers in Newry Mourne and Down on Monday 1 January to conduct an anti-crime operation.
During the course of the operation, which took place during the afternoon and into the evening, 46 vehicle checkpoints were conducted in a bid to disrupt, detect and deter criminality.
Two vehicles were seized during the operation. A silver Toyota Corolla was seized in the King’s Road area of Newry after failing to stop for police. The vehicle was not insured and the 48-year old male driver was arrested for dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified, failing to stop for police and driving with no insurance. He was later charged to appear before Newry Magistrates’ Court on 24 February. As is normal procedure the charges will be reviewed by the PPS.
A black Renault Clio was seized by officers in Ballykinler when it was found to have no insurance. The 23-year old male driver was arrested for no insurance and later released pending report to the PPS.
A number of people were also detected driving with excess speed, not wearing a seatbelt and using a mobile phone while driving.
Inspector Arthur McKenna said: “This operation is just a small part of what we do with our district colleagues to combat crime and disrupt travelling criminals. During the operation we also took the opportunity to conduct bail checks. We spoke to the public and their concerns and information will help us target our resources for future operations.”
Chief Inspector Andy Freeburn, Newry Mourne and Down District, added: “Disrupting and deterring criminals is just one way that we work continually to keep people safe across our district. Bringing together the expertise of TSG and local officers enables us to target crime more effectively and we will continue to work with local communities to identify areas of concern and reduce criminality.”
