Northumbria Police’s largest operation yet has led to dozens of arrests and substantial seizures of weapons and drugs.
The third Operation Impact has been taking place across the last fortnight, with officers confiscating Class A drugs, firearms, knuckle dusters, machetes, tasers, and approximately £4,000 in suspected criminal cash.
A total of 67 people were arrested across the six days of action.
Northumbria Police also were involved in the national Sceptre initiative, bolstering their efforts to curb knife crime and serious violence.
A staggering 229 knives were either handed in or seized under the Sceptre scheme, leading to 228 more arrests.
Additional efforts were also made to approach high-risk offenders, scrutinise knife retailers, and enhance public safety.
There were 42 weapons sweeps, 61 educational events and 87 school outreach programmes to educate young people on the risks of knife crime.
Northumbria Police’s assistant chief constable Andy Hill said: "Operation Impact is about tackling the issues which matter most to our communities in a very visible way – and ensuring people know that we are here when they need us.
“This is activity we are carrying out day-in day-out to keep people safe but it is not always seen."
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