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Operation Leopard has already been hailed a success by police. During the course of the same operation in January, burglaries, criminal damage and car crime stopped completely.
Gerry Parker, part of the Forward Intelligence Team (FIT) that carries out the operation in Pitsea, was pleased with the outcome of the filmed operation last Friday, July 18.
He said: “The operation on Friday was on the whole a success. We located four people on the list that we were looking for.
“Obviously, the work is not finished as the operation is still ongoing, but we are hopeful that it will continue to be a successful method of deterrence to criminals on the estate. Having it shown on the BBC will hopefully highlight the good work that officers do to make communities safer in Essex.”
Chief Insp Simon Dobinson is pleased with the continued success of the operation: “Operation Leopard is an effective way of policing in response to community information and intelligence. We are very mindful that it has received a lot of publicity and is seen as a new tactic on the fight against anti-social behaviour.”
Chief Insp Dobinson continues: “We want to reassure the public that it is a tried and tested method of policing which has delivered one of the most important aspects of our service, which is reassuring the public about what the police do.”
The operation has become of significant interest to other forces, who contact Essex Police regularly. This shows the force as being one of the forerunners of the development of policing activity.
He added: “This proves to the community that if they talk to us, we will take action. Publicising this activity through the BBC can only encourage members of the public to come forward and engage with us, as it demonstrates the importance of understanding and acting on local intelligence."
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