Plain clothed and visible patrols bring success for Stockton’s Community Action Team.

Over the past month, officers from Stockton’s CAT (Community Action Team) and Proactive Team have stepped up their patrols – both plain-clothed and high visibility.

The proactive patrols have resulted in a number of stop searches and targeted activity around people suspected of causing the most harm in the local area.

They’ve made several arrests for possession with intent to supply Class A drugs (crack cocaine) and there have been a number of people charged and remanded after evidence was presented to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Examples include plain clothed officers who were in an area identified as a drugs “hotspot” seeing a male who was believed to be involved in drug dealing in company with another male.

Both were stopped and the older man allegedly made off from police however he was detained and searched after a brief foot pursuit. A large amount of crack cocaine was found.

Both were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a Class A drug, and on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of a controlled substance.

The 21-year-old was later charged and remanded to appear at court this morning, Friday 24th May.

The second male, 17, was bailed pending further enquiries.

CAT/Proactive Team Sergeant Darren Williamson said: “The team will relentlessly pursue people suspected of causing our communities the most harm and I make no apologies for this.”

“It is well known that drug dealing activity is associated with antisocial behaviour and serious violence and our activity over the last few weeks has seen almost £6000 worth of crack cocaine removed from the streets and significant quantities of cash seized as criminal property, with suspects charged and remanded in custody awaiting court appearances.

“Acting on intelligence and data analysis, we’ve deployed officers into areas that have been identified as having issues and targeted those individuals who we believe cause those communities the most harm.

“We’ll continue to target these individuals, working with our partners to disrupt their criminal activity, working with them to gather information and intelligence, and to execute warrants and seek premises closure orders when and where appropriate.

“Only last week we worked with our partner agencies to evict an individual engaged in drug activity and antisocial behaviour.”

And Sgt Williamson warned: “Over the summer months we’ll continue to intensify our activity and target those who continue to deal drugs; they will be arrested, lose their liberty, lose their drugs, lose their money and potentially lose their home.”