A MAN has sadly died after being admitted to hospital with head injuries.
The 40-year-old local man was reported to have been assaulted in Southend Road, Grays, at around 12am on Monday 30 November. Sadly, he died on Tuesday 1 December.
A 26-year-old man from the town was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm and has been released on bail until 21 December.
An Essex Police spokesperson said: “We believe that there were two other people present when the assault took place, and we would urge them to come forward and assist with our enquiries.
We are also keen to identify any drivers who may have witnessed the altercation, or who may have dashcam footage.
“If you were on the roundabout that meets on Southend Road, Chadwell Road and College Avenue between 11.45pm on Sunday 29 November and 12:25am on Monday 30 November, you may be an important witness, so please get in touch.
“If you can any information to assist us, please email scd.appeals.essex@essex.pnn.police.uk”.
You can also report online by going to https://www.essex.police.uk and use the ‘Live Chat’ button to speak to an online operator between 7am-11pm.
Information can also be given to independent charity Crimestoppers 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111 or https://crimestoppers-uk.org
A GRAYS man is among charged with drugs offences following a proactive operation by officers from the Met Police.
Riz Khan, 22, of Rectory Road was among those charged on Wednesday, 2 December with conspiracy to supply class A drugs, and conspiracy to supply class B drugs.
The charges follow a series of warrants executed at addresses in Tower Hamlets, Hertfordshire and Essex on Wednesday, 2 December.
“Pubs and restaurants might be shutting at 11pm but our cells are open 24/7 for the most dangerous drivers” – that’s our message as we start our Christmas anti-drink and drug driving campaign.
THROUGH December, as Essex moves into Tier 2 COVID-19 regulations meaning many restaurants and pubs are re-opening, our officers will be working around the clock to keep you safe on the road.
During the same period last year we made 166 drink driving arrests, 170 drug driving arrests, and 57 for failing to provide a specimen. Temporary Chief Inspector Emma Bullock, Head of Roads Policing, said:
“We know it’s been a really challenging year and we all want a bit a festive cheer more than ever but that is no excuse for drink driving.
“We don’t want stop people celebrating Christmas but want you to do it safely.
“You can still be over the limit the morning after a few hours sleep or a cup of coffee won’t sober you up.
“I’d urge families not to tolerate their loved ones taking risks and put their lives, and those of others, at risk.
“After the year we’ve all had, we don’t want anyone to experience any more tragedy.
“My officers will be out across the county working proactively to target those flouting the law.
“Pubs and restaurants may have to shut at 11pm but our bars are open 24/7 for the most dangerous drivers.”
Chief Insp Bullock added that we continue to build on our first ever anti-drug driving campaign which launched last year.
She said: “For some time we’ve seen more drug driving arrests than drink driving arrests and it’s really important we continue to raise awareness of the issue while taking drug drivers of the road.
“Throughout this year, whether we’ve been under national restrictions or not, we continue to see people drug driving.
“This month we’ll be particularly targeting the most dangerous drivers – those repeat offenders who drive while disqualified.
“We’re still finding that many people don’t realise that drugs can still be in your system days after last taking them and if you’re caught you could lose your licence, your job, and even your home.”
Nicola Foster, Chairman of the Safer Essex Roads Partnership (SERP), said: “Any amount of drink and drugs in the human body impairs judgement, so if you need to drive this Christmas, please make a plan to ensure that you do so without drink or drugs in your system.
“You may feel OK to drive, and you may have done it before and managed to get home safely but, especially with more people walking and cycling, is it worth risking their lives as well as yours? No quick ‘high’ will be worth the lifetime ‘low’.
“We understand that everyone makes mistakes but sadly, mistakes on the road can lead to someone dying or being seriously injured on the road.
Vision Zero is the ambition that no one should die on the road because they’ve made a mistake. Driving with more than the legal limit of alcohol or with drugs in your system is a deliberate action and featured in nearly a third of road deaths in Essex in 2018.
“We should all be supporting Essex Police in their desire to remove the worst offenders from our roads to reduce the unacceptable number of road deaths to zero.”
CHRISTMAS is a time for giving and Essex Police wants to brighten Christmas for vulnerable children who may otherwise receive little or nothing.
A spokesperson said: “And we are appealing to our communities to help us make this happen by donating small gifts which we can pass on to those who will benefit the most.
“Whether you want to shop online and send in your gift or bring an unwrapped present to one of our COVID-Secure police stations, we hope we’ve made it easy for you to take part”.
Temporary Superintendent Lily Benbow brought the Community Christmas Giving Tree initiative with her from London when she joined us as Tendring district commander last year.
“We donated approximately 1,300 gifts to vulnerable children across Tendring. We were simply bowled over by the generosity of our community.
Our colleagues in Children Social Care helped us select our most vulnerable children and, together, we co-ordinated delivery before Christmas.
“Our officers, staff and volunteers worked with partner agencies to shop for presents, allocate, wrap and deliver them. I even ended up cooking at a local Christmas party, which only happened because I was chatting with the chef while we wrapped gifts.
“Sadly, we can’t invite volunteers in to help our officers and staff to help us with the wrapping this year as, like everyone, we’ve had to adapt what we do.
“So we’ve gone online and created Amazon Wish Lists for each district so that you can still donate, although some of our police stations are open if you want to deliver in person. Even though 2020 has been tough year for all, we won’t be deterred from giving children who would otherwise have nothing, a gift at Christmas.”
This year we are again working with partners in each district to identify those children who will most benefit from your generosity on Christmas Day.
Here’s how you can help
Buy your gift and deliver it to one of our police stations between 9am and 5pm on any day of the week up to and including Saturday 19 December. Remember it must be unwrapped and suitable for a child from newborn up to the age of 17. If you want to donate wrapping paper for our officers and staff to wrap your present, that would be welcome, too. Or you can order online and get your present delivered straight to your local police station. Each district has created an Amazon Wish List, if you would like to order that way.
Basildon https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/1OV62QKNUI0 Basildon Police Station SS14 1EJ
Braintree https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/23XLNE33X7XUZ Braintree Police Station CM7 3DJ
FORMER Bradford City player Tyrell Robinson will be sentenced for child sex offences in January after his co-accused changed his plea reports the BBC.
Korie Berman, 21, had originally pleaded not guilty to five charges of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a child, and was due to stand trial in April.
Robinson admitted sex offences in June, but had expected to be sentenced once Berman’s trial had taken place.
Both will be sentenced on 26 January.
Robinson, 22, of South Ockendon, was sacked by Bradford City for gross misconduct after being charged.
He pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual activity with a child in August 2018 and making and distributing an indecent image of a child via Snapchat.
At a virtual hearing at Bradford Crown Court, Judge Richard Mansell QC heard Berman, also from Essex, enter guilty pleas and fixed the sentence hearing for both men.
OPERATION Encompass, a scheme which helps to protect children exposed to domestic abuse at home, is being expanded in Thurrock and introduced in Southend.
Police officers attending reports of domestic abuse routinely record details of children living in the home or elsewhere. Operation Encompass is a partnership scheme which enables a dedicated safeguarding lead in each school or academy involved to be informed by police in confidence if one of their pupils has been exposed to domestic abuse. The designated safeguarding lead will then assess what support that pupil needs to help them remain in school and continue learning in a safe and secure environment.
The aim is to reduce the impact of domestic abuse on the children involved and to ensure that they get support and continue their education, to give them the best possible start in life.
Chief Inspector David Miles says our police officers attend domestic incidents every day; sometimes children are present and sometimes they are elsewhere.
“However, if children are involved, and whether they see the actual incident or not, they will be affected and, at school, that could result in a fall in grades, truancy or even disciplinary and mental health issues. They need additional help and Operation Encompass allows our officers to act as their voice by informing schools in Thurrock and Southend when there’s been a domestic incident at a pupil’s home.”
A successful pilot has been running in Thurrock since January. Operation Encompass is a nationally-recognised programme and, here, it’s being run in partnership with the Thurrock Local Safeguarding Children Partnership and Southend Safeguarding Partnership for children.
During the Thurrock pilot, 28 pupils were referred to schools under Op Encompass. In one instance where children were not attending school, the mother was supported by the school in helping them to return. In another, the school was able to put in support for a child whose parents had been involved in a domestic incident.
Chief Inspector Miles adds: “Operation Encompass is a fantastic scheme that focuses on the protection of children, who are the most vulnerable members of our society. The pilot has been a success and we are looking forward to continuing our work with Thurrock Local Safeguarding Children Partnership and, now, also linking in with Southend Safeguarding Partnership for children. Together we will work to keep young people safe and make every effort to break the cycle of domestic abuse.”
Jane Gardner, Deputy Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex and chair of the Southend, Essex and Thurrock Domestic Abuse Board (SETDAB), says expanding Operation Encompass after its success in Thurrock is a positive step towards creating a world where no-one has to live in fear of domestic abuse.
She says: “Breaking the cycle of domestic abuse is one of the priorities in Roger Hirst’s Police and Crime Plan. Working together with partners across the county, our objective is to help those who suffer in silence and reduce the impact on children and families.
“Domestic abuse has an impact on everyone in the family. This way of supporting families by linking police and schools together is making a huge difference to young people affected, giving them the support they need from trusted adults at a crucial time.”
In Southend-on-Sea, more than 60 schools have signed up for the scheme. Cllr Anne Jones, cabinet member for children and learning at Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, says: “It is vital that children can grow up living in a safe, secure and loving environment and that is why, in recent years, we have increased early prevention and intervention services to support vulnerable children and families in our borough.
“I am therefore very pleased that Southend-on-Sea will now be part of Operation Encompass following the successful pilot in Thurrock and, through our safeguarding partnership, we can continue to work together with our partners and local schools to tackle and break the cycle of domestic abuse and its impact on local children.”
Cllr James Halden, Thurrock Council cabinet member for Social Care, says: “We know that, for some children and families, home may not be a safe place and many live in silent fear. The effects of domestic abuse can be far-reaching and long-lasting.
“Where children and young people are exposed to or witness domestic abuse, we must provide support that enables them to remain in school and continue learning in a safe and secure environment.
“This is another example of Thurrock Council working closely with Essex Police to get better outcomes for our residents.”
MORE than a tonne of cocaine worth about £100million was found hidden in a shipment of banana pulp from Colombia, the Home Office says.
Border Force officers discovered the concealed drugs, which were destined for the streets of Europe, during a routine inspection at the London Gateway depot in Thurrock, last month.
A total of 1,060 kilograms of cocaine were found hidden in a shipping container docked at the port on the Thames Estuary.
It is thought that the drugs were put in the cargo in Colombia – the world’s leading supplier of cocaine – and were due to arrive in Antwerp, Belgium.
The discovery on November 12 marks the second-largest shipment of cocaine to be discovered at the Essex port in the space of two months.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “Drugs fuel criminality and destroy lives.
“Class A drugs such as cocaine inflict unimaginable damage on to our citizens and communities, shattering lives and stoking obscene levels of violence, disorder and crime.
“This significant seizure of drugs sends a stark message to criminals in the UK and abroad seeking to smuggle drugs into or through the UK: you will not succeed and we will use every inch of our law enforcement powers to track down and stop drugs from coming into the UK.”
In September, Border Force National Deep Rummage Team officers discovered 1,155 kilograms of cocaine in a shipment of paper also bound for Antwerp.
he National Crime Agency (NCA) is investigating the discoveries to identify those involved, though the two shipments are not believed to be linked.
NCA branch commander Jacque Beer said: “These were substantial seizures and will represent a significant hit to the organised crime groups involved, meaning less profit for them to reinvest.
“While the UK wasn’t the end destination for either shipment, it is likely that at least a proportion would have ended up being sold on our streets.
“The NCA is working with law enforcement partners in the UK, in Europe and worldwide to target the criminal networks behind drug trafficking and disrupt their activities.”
ESSEX Police are releasing images of two people we need to trace who may have information about an assault on a man who later died.
Gary Clark, 40, from Grays, was assaulted in Southend Road #Grays at about 12am on Monday 30 November. Sadly, he died on Tuesday 1 December.
Detective Inspector Greg Wood said: “We know Gary was with the two people pictured in the minutes before his death and it is likely that they both knew him.
“Both are important witnesses and we are keen to speak to them about the circumstances leading up to the incident in which Gary sadly lost his life.
“We appreciate these are not the clearest images, but hope someone will recognise them.”
Email scd.appeals.essex@essex.pnn.police.uk. You can also report online by going to https://www.essex.police.uk and use the ‘Live Chat’ button to speak to an online operator between 7am-11pm.
Information can also be given to independent charity Crimestoppers 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111 or https://crimestoppers-uk.org
ESSEX Police is investigating following a collision in Grays involving a girl and moped.
It was reported the collision took place at around 2.40pm on Tuesday 8 December in Grangewood Avenue.
It was reported the moped involved was travelling with two other mopeds and following the incident the driver got on one of them and left the scene.
The girl involved did not sustain serious injuries.
A police spokesperson said: “We believe the area would have been busy at this time of day and there may be people who would have filmed the incident or the aftermath on mobile phones.
“We need anyone who has any CCTV, dash cam, or mobile phone footage to come forward.
“We have also liaised with the nearby school and are increasing patrols in the area.
“If you have any information please call us on 101 quoting incident 562 of 8 December or contact us via our digital 101 system on our website: https://www.essex.police.uk/ Alternatively you can call Crimestoppers 100 percent anonymously on 0800 555 111.
A NINE-year-old boy has been taken to hospital with injuries after he was attacked by a dog in Langdon.
Police were called on Friday 27 November with reports that the boy had been walking his dog with his family at Langdon Hills recreation ground shortly before 7.30pm, when another dog approached them.
The dog was reported to have acted aggressively towards the family’s dog before attacking the boy, when he tried to separate the two dogs.
The dog was described as a black Staffordshire Bull Terrier type dog with long legs. It didn’t have a collar and was not accompanied by its owner.
We are appealing for anyone who was in the area around the time and witnessed the attack, saw a dog matching this description in the area, or knows where the dog may have come from.
We understand that this incident will cause concerns within the community, but officers are in the area searching for the dog and speaking to as many people as possible to find out if they have any information, which could help us with our investigation.
If you have any information, please go to our website home page and select the ‘Live Chat’ button at the bottom right of the page. Here, between 7am-11pm, you will be able to provide information by speaking to one of our online operators to ensure your report is dealt with as quickly as possible.
Alternatively, you can make an online report here or call 101. Information can also be given to independent charity Crimestoppers completely anonymously.
Please reference 42/194565/20 when providing any information to ensure it gets to the investigating officer as quickly as possible.
Alternatively you can call 101 or give information anonymously by contacting independent charity Crimestoppers.
A SENIOR government lawyer convicted of upskirting a woman has escaped being banned from the profession because his vile behaviour happened “in the heat of the moment”.
Daren Timson-Hunt targeted a woman wearing a summery dress on the London Underground as she went for a job interview last year.
Father-of-one Timson-Hunt, of Broadstone Road, Stanford-le-Hope, was spotted by a police officer hiding his phone between his legs and taking a picture up the lady’s dress “four or five times”.
He was previously given a community order after being one of the first people to be sentenced under new laws.
Now a disciplinary tribunal has agreed not to strike off from being a lawyer again.
The tribunal accepted his argument that it was a “heat of the moment” decision as a result of work pressure and was instead suspended for six months.
The Bar Tribunals and Adjudication Service held the hearing on November 23, and the decision was published on Monday.
The panel said: “The Tribunal was of the view that the offence committed by [Timson-Hunt] was a serious one if relatively new.
A MAN has admitted causing a fatal collision in Orsett where a taxi driver died.
Sixty-five year-old Norman Bullock from Grays died after a collision involving his red Peugeot 308 and a black BMW X5 on the A128 Brentwood Road at around 4am on 5 October.
The driver of the BMW, 21 year-old Edvinas Pupkis, was arrested and later charged with causing death by careless driving, aggravated vehicle taking, driving without insurance, failing to stop at the scene of a collision, and failing to report a collision.
Pupkis, of Devonshire Road, Ilford, admitted the charges at Basildon Crown Court on Friday 11 December.
He is due to be sentenced at the same court on 22 December.
ESSEX’S crime chief has said the force requires hundreds more officers to do the job he wants it to.
Crime commissioner Roger Hirst was speaking in light of the announcement that Essex will receive central funding for another 127 officers for 2021/22 – well short of the 235 officers Essex Police says it needs to do everything it wants.
However Mr Hirst has also insisted he will not be asking residents for as much as the 7.5 per cent – an extra £15 on a band D property – that could allowed to supplement the gap.
But he has indicted there will be an increase above 2.5 per cent to help pay for extra officers the force says it needs to carry on combating crime – particularly around domestic abuse, drug related violence and county lines.
He said: “For around 2.5 per cent on council tax that we first thought and with the support from central government we can do the 127 figure but if we want to make a difference we know we need more like 235.
“We can’t do that but what I want to do is for every bit we go over the 2.5 per cent I want to be able to explain what they are getting for it.”
Ultimately he says he want to get in a position where Essex has around 3,600 officers in the next two years – about another 230 extra officers from its current position.
The force has already increased its officers numbers by around 520 since 2018/19 funded from increases in council tax payments.
He added: “We do the work around what shape we need to be in to bring stuff down.
“Where we have applied to known techniques and interventions with right resources around burglary and theft and anti social behaviour, then it’s working and actually we have managed to stop the increase in things like violent crime as well but we need to bring them down and that is size of number we are taking about.”
Full details of the scheme, a list of items covered, and guidance on how to transport them safely can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/offensive-weapons-act-surrender-and-compensation-scheme Lawful owners of surrendered weapons can also claim compensation for items valued at more than £30 by completing a form at the above link.
Knives and bladed weapons can also be deposited in designated amnesty bins across Essex, however these will not be covered by the government’s compensation scheme. A list of locations can be found at https://uturn4support.co.uk/knife-amnesty-bins/
AS of 00:01 (Sunday 20 December) most of Essex moves into Tier 4 of the Government’s COVID-19 restrictions. This will have an impact on what we can and can’t do.
Tier 4 covers all areas of the county apart from Colchester, Tendring and Uttlesford which remain in Tier 2.
What does this mean for you and your family and your work? You can find out more here: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
We understand this is a challenging end to a challenging year, particularly at a time when many of us were planning to see loved ones.
Our Officers and Staff will be on duty over the Christmas and New Year period, and they will be following the latest regulations too.
It’s really important that we all #StaySafeEssex. The new strain of the virus is reported to be fast-spreading and some people may be infected without displaying symptoms.
Essex Police will continue to use the same common-sense approach to the regulations that we’ve had throughout the pandemic – we’ll engage with people, explain the regulations, and encourage them to do the right thing.
We will also continue to respond to clear and blatant breaches of the regulations in order to protect and serve the County.
You will see Officers patrolling as normal, and tackling crime as we do every day of the year.
Between 7am-11pm, you can make an online report directly to one of our Digital 101 operators, by selecting the ‘Live Chat’ button at the bottom of the page.
By doing the right thing and staying safe, you give our Officers more time to help people, keep people safe and catch criminals.
OFFICERS have made nearly 160 drink or drug driving-related offences in the first half of December.
Between 1 and 17 December, 157 people were arrested – 81 on suspicion of drug driving, 64 on suspicion of drink driving, and 12 on suspicion of failing to provide a specimen.
Temporary Chief Inspector Emma Bullock, Head of Roads Policing, said:
“My officers continue to work proactively to target drivers who are putting others at risk.
“We’ve all had a challenging year with many people experiencing tragedy and we don’t want anyone to experience any more.
“Many of us have moved into a new set of Government COVID-19 regulations meaning fewer cars will be on the roads but my teams will still be out there keeping you safe.”
If you have any information about a drink or drug driver please call us on 101 or 999 in an emergency.
Statement by Essex Police Chief Constable, BJ Harrington
“Fourteen months ago, in October 2019, I made a promise.
I promised Essex Police would do everything in its power to catch and convict the criminals responsible for the horrific journey of 39 Vietnamese people who tragically died on our shoes.
I wrote that promise in a Book of Condolence at the offices of Thurrock Council, a few streets away from where those men, women and children were discovered.
That book is eight thousand miles away in Vietnam near the families of those who died, but I am proud to say that Essex Police and our partners have kept our promise.
Today, we have secured justice for 39 innocent people and their loved ones.
We’ve caught and convicted the ringleaders of the criminal group which brought them to our county.
They thought they could commit the most appalling crimes.
They thought they could hide and lie and they thought they could get away with it.
Today, we proved them wrong.
Officers, staff and volunteers from Essex Police, the National Crime Agency and the Crown Prosecution Service have worked tirelessly on this investigation since the early hours of 23rd October 2019.
I cannot thank them enough for their dedication.
I also want to thank the families of those 39 victims, they have kept their dignity and grace in the most unimaginable of circumstances and under the burden of inconsolable grief.
There’s another big thank you I need to do – and it’s to the members of the public, and not just those here in Essex.
Whether you picked up the phone to us, spoke to an officer in person, or left us an anonymous tip – your help has been invaluable in putting together some of the pieces of this puzzle.
I know there were a lot of people who were scared to come forward – maybe scared of what would happen if they talked to the police.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for being so brave and for placing your trust in us.
You’ve helped us to stop the perpetrators of this vile crime from harming anyone else.
The men who were found guilty today made their money from misery.
They tried to hide what they were doing. They attempted to evade detection. They thought they could cover up their crimes.
They have been proved wrong on every count.
There are 39 families still grieving. Their pain may never go away. I hope, together, that we have offered them some comfort with today’s result. Our thoughts will always be with them.
EVERY man, woman and child, who died in the lorry trailer came from Vietnam.
They may have started their journeys at different times but, ultimately, they were all following the same false promise of a better life.
They put their trust in people they hoped would deliver them safely to our shores. As we all now know, sadly, that’s not how their story ended.
Today, I think of the families and friends of the victims.
The victims were mothers, fathers, son, daughters, brothers, sisters and friends to many. Two of them – Dinh Dinh Binh and Nguyen Huy Hung were just 15 years old. Every victim has a family who misses them terribly.
Their families and friends won’t hear their voices again and they won’t receive pictures of their lives in a new country.
Their family, many of whom are still thousands of miles away from where I stand today, have suffered an unimaginable loss.
I know this because my team at Essex Police have heard their stories, and carefully recorded their testimony at first hand.
The people found guilty today made their money from misery.
They knew that what they were doing was dangerous, but they didn’t care.
They tried to hide what they were doing. The tried to cover their tracks. Some fled the country, thinking that we could not get them back.
Today, they have been proved wrong on every count.
Since our investigation started, on October 23rd last year, more than 1,400 people have worked on this case.
Officers, staff and volunteers from Essex Police, from Police forces across the UK and from national and international law enforcement collected hundreds of thousands of pieces of pages of evidence – which has delivered justice for the victims and their families.
I am sure that this will be a case we will never forget.
I’d like to speak directly to the families now:
We are one step closer to getting you the justice you deserve and I hope that it will offer some solace.
A TWITTER post by the home secretary about the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants led to the trial of alleged people-smugglers being halted reports the BBC.
The migrants were found dead in a lorry trailer in Essex on 23 October 2019.
On the anniversary, Priti Patel tweeted they died “at the hands of ruthless criminals” and jurors were warned to ignore comments from politicians.
The Home Office said the tweet was quickly deleted and “not intended to reference” those involved in the trial.
Following the Old Bailey trial which ended on Monday
On 23 October, Ms Patel, MP for Witham, Essex, posted: “One year ago today, 39 people lost their lives in horrific circumstances at the hands of ruthless criminals.”
The trial was temporarily halted as lawyers in the case discussed what action should be taken.
In the absence of the jury, Alisdair Williamson QC, who was defending lorry driver Eamonn Harrison, complained about the description of “ruthless criminals”.
He said: “It is unhelpful to say the least and a lot worse could be said.”
ESSEX Police Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington has thanked Essex residents for uniting to keep each other safe during the coronavirus pandemic.
New figures released today (Wednesday 23 December) by the force show that:
– Between 27 October and 22 December, officers had nearly 11,000 engagements with the public about the coronavirus restrictions. – Of these, 136 resulted in fixed penalty notices being issued. – In addition, the force has accompanied local authorities on 191 licensing visits. – Over the same period, 22 unlicensed music events have been shut down or prevented altogether. – Sound equipment has been seized, and on one occasion organisers had attempted to install card payment machines to profit from the unsafe and unlawful gatherings.
Chief Constable BJ Harrington said: “The vast majority of people I have met, and my officers have met, have done what has been asked of them and followed the Government’s COVID-19 regulations. I want to thank every single person who is doing the right thing and staying safe. “Your support means we can spend more time tackling criminals. That’s what we want to do, and we know that’s what the people of Essex want too. “Over the last year, we have targeted organised crime gangs and seized millions of pounds worth of drugs and cash. We have taken action against criminals who prey on vulnerable people and children, and have protected victims of domestic abuse, criminal and sexual exploitation and modern slavery. I’m proud of what our officers have done to keep the county safe.”
Essex Police officers will be on patrol as usual over Christmas and the New Year. They will be joined by officers from the 517-strong Special Constabulary. In 2020, these volunteers gave a total of more than 195,000 hours of their time to keep the county safe during one of the most challenging years in living memory.
The Chief Constable said: “Please stay safe, and from the Essex Police family to your family, I would like to wish everyone a Happy Christmas.”
