Undercover police are targeting criminals in possession of knives and drugs at Huddersfield Bus Station.
Officers are out patrolling in special plain clothes, as part of the initiative. Seven people were stopped and searched last night at the station.
It was later found out that knives and suspected drugs were found on one man, who was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply drugs and weapons offences.
Another person who was seen at the station engaging in anti-social offending, was also dealt with by police, with an imposed community resolution.
Rawthorpe Amateur Boxing Club Coach, Mark Reynolds, is supporting the programme set out by West Yorkshire Police, as he has been tackling knife crime: “Over the years, RABC has been delivering our ‘Fists over Knives’ initiative, which has involved us giving motivational talks, non-contact boxing sessions.” He later states that he wants to: “continue mentoring and supporting young people to keep them away from this type of life”.
In January 2024, there were 81 recorded crimes involving zombie knives and machetes across West Yorkshire, with 26 of those offenders under the age of 18.
Recent activity has seen The Huddersfield Town Centre Proactive Team targeting repeat offenders for retail theft and drink-related anti-social behaviour, resulting in offenders being jailed.
Kirklees Police Inspector Mark Pattinson, said: “Commuters and residents should be able to go about their daily business safely and these new patrols are intended to make life difficult for anyone tempted to use the bus station for criminal purposes”.
Inspector Pattinson later went on to say that: “Our officers could be there at any time and are being deliberately deployed in plain clothes to allow us to monitor and then take action against anyone seen committing offences”.
Locorum Knife Crime Activist, Franklin Webster talks about the mindset of offenders and how: “if you treat them like you’re not bothered about their life, then that’s how they’re going to treat other people. You have to treat them like an individual”.
Webster, who has worked as Locorums drugs and alcohol advisor since 2001 explains that repeated offenders: “haven’t had the right tools throughout their lives, and it’s about their attitudes that other people have inflicted on them”.
Huddersfield resident, Chris Summersgill is concerned about knife crime as he explains: “my family have only lived here for three years and the amount of knife crime incidents we have had in our area in such a short space of time is scary”.
Anyone who sees anything suspicious should contact the team on 101 or online at www.westyorkshirepolice.uk/livechat