New 24/7 road crime team introduced to tackle priorities in Staffordshire
We’re continuing to make improvements to the service we provide to our communities and recognise that the crime landscape has changed dramatically in recent years.
Our new one-unit approach, will allow us to be more responsive so we can better investigate collisions, proactively enforce road safety, support families and victims, and tackle crime committed using our road networks.
In the first two weeks alone, officers from the road crime team arrested 35 people, seized 70 vehicles, carried out 90 drink and drug roadside tests, issued 195 tickets and seized around £470,000-worth of criminal assets across the county.
On Tuesday 8 October, specialist road crime officers also carried out a stop on a vehicle that was travelling on the M6 toll. They found an estimated £250,000-worth of class A drugs inside the car, resulting in the arrest of the driver.
On Saturday 12 October, officers stopped the driver of a Range Rover on the M6 in Stafford who was later found to be twice the legal drink drive limit. He was arrested and is being dealt with in court
What does this change mean for local communities?
We’re now able to respond more quickly to incidents across the county, including rural and remote areas that aren’t very close to local policing hubs and urban crime teams
Specialist officers will now be more visible and better placed to respond to incidents
We can now work more closely in collaboration with partners, including National Highways, local authorities, and neighbouring forces meaning that local issues and priorities can be dealt with more effectively
In the long-term, it will be more cost effective
Officers based in Staffordshire will now be spending more time in the county, meaning better opportunities to engage with local communities and an increased understanding of local priorities and intelligence
Chief Inspector Scott McGrath, who leads the road crime team said: “This is a really exciting time for the force and for members of the local community that we proudly serve on a daily basis.
“It’s absolutely crucial that we continue to adapt the service we provide based on best practices and the changes we see in crime and behaviour in the modern world.
“While the restructure of the existing roads policing team does mean we operate solely in Staffordshire, it does not stop us from continuing to utilise the strong relationships we’ve built with neighbouring forces. We’ll still be sharing intelligence regularly, going after the criminals who offend across the West Midlands and working collaboratively with other police forces to keep communities safe and to minimise the risk of harm.
“There’s specialists in every department in this new team and I’m really keen to get started on delivering on the issues that matter most to local people and to proactively police our road networks and rural areas across Staffordshire.”
Deputy Staffordshire Commissioner for Police, Fire & Rescue and Crime Dave Evans is Co-Chair of the Staffordshire Safer Roads Partnership, alongside Staffordshire Commissioner Ben Adams. Dave said: “With a joined-up, cohesive approach to policing our road and motorway network, this new model should have a positive impact on tackling criminality as well as reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads.
“Our communities will benefit from increased visibility, with Staffordshire Police officers able to focus on addressing local needs and priorities. A more efficient allocation of officers and equipment within our region should also lead to improved response times and effectiveness in tackling local road safety issues.
“Roads policing was a priority in the Commissioner’s last Police and Crime Plan and remains a priority in his refreshed Plan, as vehicle crime is a concern for our communities. Over the last three years, the Roads Policing Unit has expanded and is now operating 24/7, with enhanced capability including through our Office’s continued investment in Automated Number Plate Recognition technology.”