Operation Reacher team meet the public in Newark Market Place to find out what matters to them and the areas they should be targetting

A policing team new to Newark and Sherwood have been out today listening to the things that matter to people.

The Operation Reacher team have already had successes in taking the fight against crime and anti-social behaviour to the perpetrators.

Team leader Sergeant Mike Taylor said Op Reacher's mandate was for community-led policing, tackling the issues that matter to people.

The additional task force joined the local neighbourhood team at the start of the month and pride themselves on listening to the community and acting on information residents provide them with.

So far, the team of six have conducted nine days of activity which has seen them:

• Issue seven traffic offence tickets, seized two cars and given numerous drivers advice as part of speeding operations.
• Issue a section 59 notice a driver and give warnings to off-road motor cyclists in an operation to target illegal off-roading.
• Conduct warrants and stop and searches resulting in drug seizures and weapon seizures.
• Arrest three people.

Reacher teamed-up with the local beat team and the force Tactical Support Group to execute a drugs warrant at an address in Newark.

On searching the address, a quantity of drugs were found as well as two weapons, which were seized.

Nottinghamshire Police has a zero tolerance toward knife crime and people caught with knives or other weapons will be dealt with robustly to take weapons off the streets to create a safer community.

Sergeant Taylor and police constables Mike Weston and Lee Ryan were in Newark Market Place today alongside town centre beat manager PC Rob Nelson.

Sergeant Taylor said: "Our aim is to tackle issues that are important to people in the local area.

"We wanted to give people the chance to come by and meet the faces behind Operation Reacher and get to know us as people.

"We're here to serve them after all.

"We're here to address community issues that bother them.

"Much of what we do is intelligence-led. Whether it be drug busts in Newark, anti-social behaviour in Balderton or speeding in Southwell - we're here to crack it.

"A lot of the work that we've conducted so far is connected to complaints from local residents, like with the vehicle speeding and off-roading operations, which we staged as a result of numerous reports from people living in the area.

"We are here to make a positive difference for the people of Newark and Sherwood, we're an extra resource and we aim to bring about results."

The team are due to stage a similar event in the Sherwood area next week.