Plain clothes police launch supermarket patrols in Kirklees

Plain clothes police officers have begun a supermarket sweep of offenders in Kirklees after launching special patrols to catch suspects involved in crime in larger stores.

Officers from the Batley and Spen Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) have last week begun plain clothes patrols in supermarkets in Heckmondwike to ID and tackle those involved in criminal activity.

Detectives have also arrested a man wanted for a supermarket robbery in Heckmondwike as part of wider police action in Kirklees to support the national Operation Sceptre and Operation Calibre weeks of action.

The weeks are intended to reduce knife related crime and robbery respectively and have seen a significant amount of police activity across Kirklees and West Yorkshire.

“Within Batley and Spen, we know residents and businesses have been concerned about retail crime and anti social behaviour in Heckmondwike and Cleckheaton and have launched plain clothes activity to both identify and catch suspects,” Inspector David Bates of the Batley and Spen NPT, said.

“We’ve also increased visible patrols in hotspots to deter offending as well as engage with young people to see what other measures we can take to discourage low level anti social behaviour.”

DS Andrew Holmes of Kirklees District CID, added: “This activity will continue and I want to thank residents who have responded to our wanted persons appeals and contacted us with information.

“Intelligence of this kind from communities is vital in helping us track down persons who have been evading justice and preventing them from going on to commit further offending.”