Operation Galaxy extended after ‘outstanding’ success

OPERATION GALAXY: Image supplied by Humberside Police

A police operation targeting specific areas of crime has been given a further extension due to its “outstanding” success.

Operation Galaxy was launched by Humberside Police last October and was expanded for five weeks on May 26 to include CID teams, patrol, neighbourhood policing, the protecting vulnerable people unit, roads policing, police dogs, firearms, the marine unit, major crime, intelligence, and economic crime.

Those five weeks have seen more than 650 arrests and 200 people charged for various offences force-wide, and the force has now announced the operation will continue into the summer. The force called those results “outstanding”.

Announcing the extension, Assistant Chief Constable Paul Anderson said: “Due to the lockdown, we did see a reduction in offences taking place and we wanted to ensure we did everything we could to keep crime down when the restrictions began to be eased and lifted, with our message clear to offenders that their criminality will not be tolerated.

“Our Op Galaxy team launched in October last year, and we made the decision to expand the current team and implemented robust plans for a five-week period of intensified action, to begin making the Humberside force area a hostile and difficult place for criminals to operate in.

“We have been unrelenting in our pursuit of targeting those who bring misery and distress to our communities and the results we have seen support our efforts to tackle all types of criminality in our area, so much so, the Galaxy team will continue in its current format over the next few weeks and into the summer.

“With an increase in officer numbers over the past three years, we now have 500 more officers, enabling us to carry out more of this work, and with the extension of the intensive action, we have the opportunity to make even more of an impact on crime so we are able to protect our communities and the most vulnerable.”

The five week results have included:

• 654 arrests for various offences including drugs, robbery, burglary, sexual offences and theft

• 142 warrants executed at properties across East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire

• 201 people charged with crimes and currently going through the court process

• Large quantities of drugs seized include cocaine, heroin and cannabis

• An approx street value of drugs, predominately cannabis from factories discovered through warrants, being in excess of £4m

• Numerous weapons seized including a hand gun, a shot gun, an air rifle, two Tasers, an imitation hand gun, PAVA spray, four knuckle-dusters, four bladed weapons, a machete and an axe

• £100,000 in cash recovered

• More than 45 suspects detained on fail to appear warrants

Image supplied by Humberside Police

Mr Anderson said: “The work undertaken by the teams involved in Op Galaxy has been second to none with commitment and dedication from every single person involved, either frontline or behind the scenes.

“Additional high visibility patrols have been conducted throughout the five weeks in hot spot areas where we know criminality can occur, with 180 stop searches being carried out and action taking place to locate and arrest outstanding suspects.

“Our neighbourhood policing teams have been incredibly focused on engaging with our communities, speaking to them and explaining what actions have been taken in their area, updating, informing and providing reassurance as to any police presence throughout the five weeks, and also importantly, talking through and listening to any concerns residents have to feed back into the Galaxy team to look into and take action.

“When the expanded Galaxy team and the intensive action does conclude, it doesn’t just end there. We will still be incredibly visible with the Operation Galaxy team continuing in its previous form, proactively targeting criminals, and your local NPTs [neighbourhood policing] being highly visible in your communities and still listening to what matters the most to you in your area.

“For the time being the team will be continuing in their current form for the next few weeks into the summer, to maximise on the success achieved so far and to continue delivering great results for our communities.

“We are a force on the front foot and we are taking control of our streets and roads, making the lives of criminals and predators difficult and uncomfortable. We are determined and committed in tackling criminality across the Humberside force area, to ensure you feel safe and protected, as that will always be our main priority.”