More Criminal gang arrests revealed as Commissioner holds chief to account

The number of people arrested by Lancashire Police for involvement in organised crime has increased by 57% over the past year, with the latest figures revealed during the Commissioner's scrutiny session with the Chief Constable.

February's Accountability Board saw Police and Crime Commissioner Andrew Snowden and Lancashire Constabulary's Chief Constable, Chris Rowley, discuss the importance of working with the Regional Organised Crime Unit and National Crime Agency to get the best possible results and make life as tough as possible for organised crime gangs.

791 (to Dec 21) arrests were made in the last year compared with 505 (to Dec 2019) in the twelve months prior. The number of charges has also jumped by 79% from 126 to 226, with disrupting and dismantling organised crime now a key priority in the Commissioner's police and crime plan.

They also discussed a range of other issues including targeting dangerous drivers through 'Operation Snap', a dedicated portal for submitting footage of moving traffic offences, crime statistics, the impact of coronavirus on policing in the last two years and the announcement of new officers to lead the fight against rape and sexual violence.

It was the first official accountability meeting of 2022 looking at performance against the priorities in the Police and Crime Plan, which launched at the end of last year.

These detailed sessions play a key part in the Commissioner's overall commitment to hold the force to account, ensure his priorities are delivered and that investment gives value for the people of Lancashire.

He said:

"Holding the force to account and making sure that the priorities of Lancashire’s residents are heard and delivered is one of the most important parts of my role and one that I take extremely seriously. My Police and Crime Plan priorities were developed thanks to input from the public about what is important to them and I'm determined to get it delivered.

"These sessions are a good opportunity to look at what is going well, where we can repeat successes and carry across good practice whilst also looking at what can be done differently to deliver the best results for Lancashire. They are really useful meetings that get to the heart of the key issues around getting tough on criminals and keeping people safe.

"It's pleasing to see statistics such as the arrests of those involved in organised crime highlight the intelligence led, round the clock work carried out by officers here in Lancashire, in the wider region and nationally. I, like most people, want to see more doors put through, more assets seized and more criminals behind bars as I lead the fight against crime and back officers to stop offenders in their tracks."