Seventeen individuals have been arrested in a series of organised crime raids conducted across Teesside. The operations by Cleveland Police followed a tragic crash on the A66 that resulted in the deaths of two police officers and five men.
Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hall stated that public support in the wake of the crash had been "absolutely phenomenal." He added, "It's clear criminality of any sort is not welcome on these estates and we are here to tell those people we've heard their concerns and we will act."
Officers PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, died at the scene of the A66 collision along with all five occupants of a separate vehicle. Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland, Matt Storey, emphasized the importance of visible police activity targeting criminals. "This makes people more reassured about what is really going in their communities. They see people arrested, charged and taken off the streets," Storey said. "It shows the public good work is happening, despite the problems we have."