Drug driving, domestic abuse & stalking among arrests made as teams join forces to target Isle of Wight criminals

Policing teams across the Isle of Wight have joined together as part of a high visibility proactive effort to tackle Island criminality.

Throughout the week, officers sought and successfully arrested a number of outstanding suspects for crimes such as stalking, domestic abuse, shoplifting and making threats to kill, as well as proactively intercepting offenders on the Island’s roads on Tuesday 16 and Wednesday 17 April.

Island residents will likely have seen uniformed officers along Fairlee Road, Blackwater Road and around Cowes.

Armed Response Sergeant Matt Tasker, who organised the operation, said: “This operation was a joint venture between the armed response teams, roads policing teams, CID, neighbourhoods teams and district response teams. We were also joined by the mainland-based Commercial Vehicle Unit.

“The aim of this operation was in part to identify those criminals who use the Island’s road network to commit crime.

“Police have also been conducting high visibility patrols across the Island. As a result of that, we arrested five people for driving under the influence of drugs, and identified a number of moving traffic offences such as having no insurance and driving without a driving licence.

“Teams across the Island have also been out developing drugs intelligence, and we’ve also arrested a number of outstanding suspects for offences such as stalking, domestic abuse and making threats to kill.”

As a result of the operation, a number of road offences were identified and dealt with including:

• 5 drivers arrested on suspicion of drug driving, in addition to multiple other drug wipes conducted on drivers
• 4 drivers dealt with for having no insurance
• 1 driver dealt with for driving without a licence
• 2 vehicles seized for having no tax, and a further vehicle stopped for having no tax (which was then purchased at the roadside)
• 2 drivers caught using their mobile phones
• 1 driver caught speeding
• 1 driver dealt with for having a defective tyre
• 2 drivers dealt with for having no MOT
• 1 driver dealt with for having an insecure load
• 1 driver dealt with for a vehicle defect

A number of vehicles were also searched for drugs, however no drugs were located on this occasion.

Teams also conducted further patrols and intelligence-gathering efforts relating to drugs supply and production on the Isle of Wight.