News Writer Alfie Luck reports on Operation Skybridge’s latest discovery – £5000 worth of cocaine found in a man’s boxers – finding the new operation to be effective and community-based
CW: drugs, arrest
As a part of West Midlands’ new police team ‘Operation Skybridge’, a man in Erdington was subjected to a stop and search, with police officers discovering 40 wraps of cocaine in his underwear valued at £5000.
Operation Skybridge is formed of officers from the Birmingham Proactive Crime Team, aiming to increase police presence and tackle crime in areas of Birmingham with high rates of robbery, burglary and drug crime. Currently, the team has been deployed in Erdington and Selly Oak. The operation includes both plain-clothed and uniformed officers, and utilises dogs, drones, an operational support unit, and firearms teams as a means of tacking crime.
Sergeant Leon Butler, an integral member of Operation Skybridge, stated: ‘This is pure proactive policing, causing maximum difficulty and disruption to those who are doing the most harm to our communities.’
‘This is pure proactive policing, causing maximum difficulty and disruption to those who are doing the most harm to our communities.’
He claims that so far the team has ‘carried out dozens of stop and searches, made 12 arrests, disrupted drug dealing on the streets and carried out numerous seizures of weapons, drugs and cars.’
A crucial element of the operation is its community-based approach. The team works closely with local Neighbourhood Teams and officers, relying heavily on community intelligence to gather information and develop the most effective response to crime in the areas the operation is deployed.
The team works closely with local Neighbourhood Teams and officers, relying heavily on community intelligence
Inspector Shameem Ahmed, working for Erdington’s Neighbourhood Team, commented: ‘It’s great to have this additional support to tackle our priorities in Erdington. The team are working with the local policing teams in the area to respond to issues and carry out longer term problem solving work with partner agencies.’
So far there has been no information regarding the fate of Erdington’s ‘Escobar’. However, Sergeant Butler claims due to the ‘extra legwork’ of Operation Skybridge, it is likely he will face a heavier sanction.
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