Arrests over weapons and drug offences during day of action in Barnsley

South Yorkshire Police has launched a Violent Crime Task Force using £2.58 million from the Home Office to ‘reduce the volume of knife and firearm enabled assaults, wounding and robberies’ over the next 12 months.

Meanwhile, the Home Office is also set to allocate Dr Alan Billings, South Yorkshire’s police and crime commissioner, £1.6m for a project to look into the root causes of violent crime.

The team’s 25 dedicated cops arrested eight men, including a wanted man who had evaded officers for over three months, during a day of action in Barnsley on Monday.

They also stopped nine vehicles, searching five of them for drugs and weapons.

Chief Inspector Vicky Short of the Violent Crime Task Force. said: “I am extremely pleased with the results following the team’s day of action in Barnsley yesterday.

“Since our launch, officers have been working incredibly hard to make South Yorkshire a safer place to visit, live and work.”

A 22-year-old Barnsley man was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply after officers stopped his vehicle and found a significant amount of money and a quantity of suspected cannabis.

Officers arrested a 27-year-old man from Barnsley on suspicion of possession with intent to supply after a large amount of suspected cannabis was found in his car.

An 18-year-old man from Bolton on Dearne and a 17-year-old-boy from Rotherham were arrested for possession of an offensive weapon after two knuckleduster weapons were found in a car.

A 17-year-old from Rotherham was arrested for driving while over the prescribed limit and possession of an offensive weapon. Officers believe he was under the influence of cannabis while driving.

Police arrested a 19-year-old man from Barnsley for possession of an offensive weapon and controlled drug. Officers searched a vehicle and found two knuckledusters.

A 40-year-old man, of no fixed abode, was arrested on suspicion of theft. Officers had found the man unconscious in Barnsley and following a search found 10 pairs of glasses that are believed to be stolen from a town business.