Police step up efforts to tackle organised crime in Mexborough following murder of Lewis Williams

A report to South Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Dr Alan Billings, lays out a number of ways police resources have been deployed in the area.

These include improving relations between the police and residents though better communication, enforcements such as arrests, warrants, stop and searches, and vehicle seizures, and the presence of armed response vehicles in the area.

The report states that the issues in Mexborough have been “ongoing for some time”, and that the area will be a “key focus” for the force, following the death of Lewis Williams.

Lewis, 20, died on January 11 from a shotgun wound suffered in Wath Road in the town.

Mr Williams was gunned down close to the Farmfoods store at around 5pm.

A post-mortem examination concluded that he died as a result of a shotgun wound to his neck and face.

The report to the PCC adds: “We have consistently deployed force resources, such as the Serious Violent Crime Taskforce and armed response vehicles to give a greater coverage and increase the visibility for the community.

“This preventative and enforcement work seeks to reassure communities, encourage reporting and dissuade the next generation of children from getting involved in criminality.

“The cumulative impact of this approach has been the arrest and imprisonment of significant key members of the organised crime groups.

”We are also working closely with Crimestoppers to encourage the community to work with us in providing information, which will support the disruption of this criminal activity.”