"This is all about catching bad guys", was the message as hundreds of police officers lined up in Ikea car park ahead of a cross-border crackdown. Cheshire Police chief Mark Roberts' rallying cry came as the force joined Greater Manchester colleagues in a "show of strength" yesterday.
Operation Crossbow is aimed at tackling a string of offences across the region - including drug dealing, dangerous driving, human trafficking, and modern slavery. "While not all road users are criminals, all criminals use the road", said Cheshire Police Chief Inspector Sarah Heath.
The Manchester Evening News joined PC Niaz Waddington in an unmarked police vehicle as Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras were used to spot vehicles with 'marks' indicating that the driver may have been involved in a crime. A van was seized as it was found the driver was disqualified from driving.
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PC Waddington had stopped two vehicles earlier in the day for driving without a seatbelt, citing the poor excuses given when pulled over, or lying that they had been driving with it on.
The police officer said there are many key signs he will look out for that can indicate a bigger crime happening, including a damaged vehicle. This can often lead to larger crimes being discovered, such as someone driving without a licence, or further checks and searches of a car finding drugs or weapons.
"When we work properly together it leads to really good results. It's a proper show of strength to show the work that the officers are doing day in and day out to keep our community safe. It is also vital to show anybody planning to commit crimes along the border that we are here."
Chief Constable Mark Roberts added: "It’s quite clear, we will not stop in pursuing those who are intent on coming into Cheshire to commit crime. Operation Crossbow is a prime example of how, by working with neighbouring forces, we can bolster our collective knowledge in taking out criminals who rely on the road network to commit offences.
“There is also a strong link between the illegal use of vehicles and other serious and organised crime, which is why we are working together with our colleagues to target these criminals as they travel across the region. We cannot underestimate the impact of cross-border crime on our local communities and we will do all we can to protect the public we serve.”
Chief Superintendent Mark Dexter of GMP said that Greater Manchester sees many criminals cross the border into Cheshire and beyond to commit crimes. "Criminals don't recognise borders, they don't care where they are, so we have to tackle that together.
"This sort of policing often isn't noticed, so it's great to have these days to show how much of an impact it has. County lines crimes are dependent on vehicles, so this is a great opportunity for us to get hold of them. Nine times out of ten if someone has no insurance or a damaged car which they are stopped for they are often committing other crimes too."
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