Specialist officers arrest 1,600 in 2023

Specialist officers who work with teams across the force to keep Essex communities safe made more than 1,500 arrests across 2023.

The Operational Support Group (OSG) is a specialist team which supports other teams from across the force in carrying out activity which is vital to keep people safe and progress investigations.

This work can include conducting high visibility patrols, making arrest attempts, and carrying out warrants, as well as proactive patrols on our roads.

The OSG also play a role in reinforcing the policing response to large-scale events across Essex, like 2023’s Clacton Airshow.

These specialist officers are often central to our efforts executing warrants in relation to drug supply investigations.

For example, in March last year, they assisted officers within Grays Town Centre Team in executing a warrant at a property suspected to be housing a cannabis farm, in Argent Street.

Inside, they found 170 cannabis plants at various stages of growth and related growing equipment.

An expert witness estimated the potential yield that could have been produced as between 13.5kg and 17.5kg of cannabis bud with a wholesale value of between £47,250 and £78,750 and a potential street value of between £135,000 and £175,000.

A man arrested and charged as part of this operation was later jailed for six months.

These officers also have a crucial part to play in keeping our roads safe, and in tackling cross-border crime.

In October last year, they worked shoulder-to-shoulder with our Road Crime Ream, Roads Policing officers, Dog Unit and Armed Response Unit, together with officers from the Metropolitan Police, to make 21 significant arrests across a three-day period.

Arrests were made for offences that included burglary, theft of vehicle, aggravated burglary and possession of drugs and an offensive weapon.

It wasn’t just drivers that were arrested, a passenger in a stolen vehicle who was wanted on warrant was arrested too.

Eight stolen vehicles were recovered, including two stolen during burglaries, one found as an abandoned vehicle, and one bought by an innocent party.

Our OSG officers also regularly take part in Operation Grip patrols – intensive, high-visibility hotspot patrols aimed at tackling street crime.

This can include the setting up the OpenGate, a more mobile and less conspicuous knife arch designed to detect dense mental objects.

Across 2023, our OSG:

• Made 1,629 arrests.
• Submitted 1,444 intel reports to protect our communities.
• Took part in 1,101 ‘stop and searches’, of which 411 were positive.
• Seized 546 uninsured vehicles.
• Executed 309 search warrants.

'Our officers show flexibility to deal with any scenario'

Superintendent Philip Stinger, Head of Specialist Operations, said:

“These fantastic numbers exemplify the relentless drive, professionalism and flexibility OSG officers show on a day-to-day basis.
“Our specialist officers receive training in public order, taser deployment, warrant execution and pursuit management.
“They are often deployed to assist in the execution of warrants where officers are trained to gain entry using a number of different methods.
“We also patrol communities across a large county, helping our local and community policing teams gather intelligence to reduce and detain offenders within identified crime hotspots.
“They are a vital tool in Essex Police’s arsenal when it comes to keeping criminals off our streets and reassuring the public.”

What you know could be the missing puzzle piece we’re looking for.

We know that information held by our communities can help us to keep people safe and catch criminals.

We also know that our communities need to trust that we will listen to them and take action when we need to.

Our Police Intelligence page explains what happens when you tell us something you've seen or heard. It explains what to expect and what we need to know when you give us information. 

If you see or hear something that doesn’t seem right or causes you concern, we want you to tell us about it.

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If you share our values and want to help people, keep people safe and catch criminals, then join us as a police officer, member of staff, special constable or volunteer.

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