An operation which launched on Monday (Aug 4) in Whitehaven saw two people arrested for drug driving offences.
Operation Colossus is a joint initiative between with Operational Support and local Neighbourhood Policing Teams promoting road safety whilst targeting anti-social behaviour – including the anti-social use of vehicles - in Cumbria.
Deputy Chief Constable Jonathan Blackwell said, “Operation Colossus is responding to local community concerns across Cumbria.
"You have told us that anti-social driving is a concern in different areas and that you want something to be done about it.
"We will work alongside Operation Enhance – the Constabulary’s long-standing crackdown on anti-social behaviour in hotspot areas (Op Enhance | Cumbria Police) – whilst enhancing road safety around the county to address your concerns.”
A total of 64 vehicles were stopped Monday after stop checks were carried out on Duke Street, the A595 and in Cleator Moor, checking vehicles for defects and documents needed to drive.
Within the first hour of vehicle checks officers from Copeland Neighbourhood Policing Team and Operational Support made two arrests on Duke Street for drug driving offences and a vehicle seized for no insurance.
A 35-year-old woman and 49-year-old man from Whitehaven.
Both were released under investigation.
Other activities include:
- A total of 11 roadside drug wipes and alcohol tests.
- 11 educational interventions
- 3 Vehicles uplifted - one disqualified, one for no license and one for no insurance
- One Stop Search
- One Traffic Offence Report
Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, David Allen, said: “Operation Colossus is all about listening to communities and taking visible action.
"Dangerous driving and anti-social vehicle use are dangerous and make people feel unsafe. They present a clear danger to other road users and themselves and that’s not acceptable.
"This operation is part of our wider commitment to making Cumbria’s roads and neighbourhoods safer as part of the Safer Summer Cumbria Initiative. It is what I promised that we would do and that is what we are delivering on"
If you see someone using our roads in a dangerous or anti-social way, please report it to the Police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.
Operation Snap is a national operation enabling the public to submit video evidence of road traffic offences, quickly and easily, to the police.
Members of the public can report road traffic offences here National Dash Cam Safety Portal | Nextbase or Making a road traffic incident report | Cumbria Police
This includes:
- Overtaking on solid white lines
- Using a mobile phone whilst driving
- Failing to comply with traffic signals
- Contravening traffic directions
- Endangering other road user through poor driving