This weekend, on the December 9 and 10, drivers in Newcastle and Gateshead can expect to be pulled by Northumbria police who are running ‘operation protect’ which involves stopping random cars in Newcastle to check for:
- Drink and drug driving
- Speeding
- Using a mobile whilst driving
- Not wearing a seatbelt
It will involve the police stopping vehicles at random to check that they are road worthy, taxed, fully insured and have a valid MOT.
This is all in reaction to the rise of car crime in the North East region. The police will be armed with a speed gun, a breathalyser, and a drug testing kit to take any necessary action.
This operation was also successfully run back in 2016 by a group of special constable police volunteers. Operation Protect is just one of the initiatives being run this week, as International Volunteering Day was held on Monday. It is also being run during Northumbria Police’s drink and drunk driving campaign.
T/Chief Superintendent Sarah Pitt, who is the lead operator for the volunteers said:
“All of our specials volunteer in their own time to keep our communities safe. Op Protect is aimed at taking illegal cars off the road whether that is because they are not safe or because they don’t have the appropriate documentation. Many of these vehicles will also be linked to criminality”
She then went on to thank the Special Constabulary for their work as they play an important role in supporting the police officers.
If anyone is interested in taking part in volunteering this weekend, please go their website or follow @Northumbriapol on Twitter for news of upcoming open days or if you’d like to be a future volunteer.