Knife crime milestone

A West Yorkshire Police force-wide operation created to combat serious violence and knife crime has reached another major milestone.

Over 6,000 arrests have now been made by officers working on Operation Jemlock and almost 900 weapons have been seized, said a spokesman.

Knife crime is down 8 per cent, robbery down 19 and robbery involving implement down 15 per cent.

Operation Jemlock was launched in April 2019 after Chief Constable John Robins met with the Home Secretary.

West Yorkshire was given additional funding to tackle knife crime and reduce violence in our communities.

Superintendent Damon Solley is the lead officer for Violent Crime Reduction enforcement and Operation Jemlock.

He said: “Since Operation Jemlock started we have made some significant progress in making arrests and seizing weapons.

“There has been a real commitment by officers working on the operation to achieve such excellent results.

“These reductions in crimes of violence are outstanding and the result of the hard work of those officers working on the operation.

“For me the single most important outcome is the reduction in the numbers of victims.

“When you compare the 28 months of Operation Jemlock with the same period prior to that, we have seen over 300 fewer victims of knife crime and over 1,600 fewer victims of robbery.

“Regrettably, we still see violence happening on our streets but I am determined to keep the momentum and work with our Violence Reduction Unit, supporting projects to steer young people away from violence.”

Director of the West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), Chief Superintendent Jackie Marsh said projects are underway to help make communities safer.

“This latest arrest milestone of the Operation Jemlock Team simply reflects the significant impact that they have made in bringing about fewer victims of knife crime and other related offences across West Yorkshire,” she said.

“The partnership work of the Violence Reduction Unit compliments this enforcement action, focusing on prevention and early intervention through a public health led approach.

“We have dozens of projects and research pieces underway that are all contributing to the safety of our local communities, and we must all continue to work together to sustain these impressive results.”