Rugby's police launch clampdown on serious violent crime in the borough - here is what they are going to do

Police in Rugby are beginning a clampdown on violent crime in the borough, following a successful operation against knife crime.

The knife crime clampdown, named Operation Spigot, began in October 2020 and saw officers patrol hotspot areas, carry out raids and stop searches based on intelligence as well as supporting force-wide and national initiatives.

The operation came about following a worrying number of knife crime incidents in the borough and has led to multiple arrests and successful convictions over the past six months.

On the back of this success, the force is now launching Operation Reduce, which will see officers, communities and partner agencies work together to address the issue of serious and violent crime locally.

As part of Operation Reduce, officers will provide both an overt and covert response, gather intelligence, and carry out high visibility reassurance patrols while targeting prolific offenders using Stop Search powers among other tactics.

They will seek to educate potential victims, parents, teachers, and the wider community about the dangers of being involved in serious and violent crime as well as the wider issues it can affect such as drug use, gangs and exploitation.

Operation Reduce is also aiming to target individuals who may be more susceptible to becoming involved in crime while engaging with the local community and encouraging them to report any suspicious activity.

Detective Chief Inspector Neil Reader said: “As part of Operation Spigot, we have sought to raise awareness of the dangers of knife crime and how it can have a negative impact on everyone.

“Operation Reduce will look to build on the success of Operation Spigot, continue the good work that has been done as well as aiming to further drive down the level of serious and violent crime in Rugby - particularly among young people.

“Rugby borough is a safe place to live, work and visit and while incidents of violence are not high in number, the impact on those who may witness them can be lasting and shocking.

“Residents will see an increase in activity from our team as we look to reduce violence, arrest offenders and work with partners to reassure and support anyone affected by these kind of incidents.

“The force takes all incidents of violence seriously and there is no place for the use of weapons in any attack on our streets. We will strive to carry out thorough investigations and where possible, ensure those who are involved are brought to justice.

“We all have a duty to keep our communities and our streets safe and we’re asking everyone to play their part in our ongoing bid to drive down the level of serious and violent crime within the borough.

“We appreciate it’s not always easy to report things but if something doesn’t look quite right or you see If you see someone acting suspiciously, please get in touch

“You can play your part in keeping our streets by contacting the police online, by calling 101 or via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 if you wish to remain anonymous.”