By Tony O’ Reilly-
Over £3.5 million worth of cannabis and Class A drugs have been taken off the streets of a large Bradford estate, police have revealed.
The seizure follows more than 1,400 stop searches have been carried out and 3,700 intel reports submitted. Bradford South Neighbourhood Policing Team and partners set up a dedicated operation in the Holme Wood area in November 2022.
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Op Sweetgill targets criminality and anti-social behaviour alongside Bradford Council, Incommunities, NHS, Volunteers and Environmental Health.
In the last three years, more than 600 people have been arrested while numerous warrants were executed over Class A drugs, Class B drugs and theft offences.
More than 80 kilograms of drugs have been seized in that time with an estimated value of around £3.5 million pounds.
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A total of 58 people have been charged with drug offences and 31 people remain under investigation.
Around 200 vehicles and 66 bikes have been seizedInspector Adam Beecroft, who heads up Bradford South’s Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “This operation has gone from strength to strength showing out continued commitment to making Holme Wood a better and safer place to live.
“The results have seen a reduction in the amount of calls for service in the area.
“We know that crime and anti-social behaviour is a huge concern for residents in the area, through working with partners we are continuing to work tirelessly to tackle the problem.
“This is not just about enforcement, it’s about building trust and long-term resilience in the area through the community safety partnership.
“I would continue to appeal to residents of Bradford South to report issues to us so we can be proactive and deal with it.
“We’ve arrested, charged and remanded some prolific people.
“I hope this sends a strong message to people who choose to commit crime that it will not be tolerated and we will do everything we can to make the area a safer place to live and work.”
Making Holme Wood ‘a safer and more welcoming place’
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Atkinson, of Bradford District Serious and Organised Crime, said: “We have dedicated detectives working collaboratively within this Neighbourhood Policing Team supporting the investigations into these serious crimes.
“This is enabling the team to provide better responses and investigations into these community concerns.”
Aim to make Holme Wood a ‘safer and more welcoming place’
Cllr Kamran Hussain, Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhoods and Community Safety, said: “We are committed to making Holme Wood a safer and more welcoming place for everyone.
“We work in close partnership with the police, get out into the community to talk to residents and ensure their voices are heard and concerns acted upon.
“Our work with youth services, housing, and local schools is helping to prevent anti-social behaviour before it starts.”
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