Key group of criminals dismantled in Edlington thanks to targeted approach to tackling organised crime gangs

Last year, a new 'Clear, Hold and Build' (CHB) strategy was implemented in Edlington to provide more proactive patrols and operations as well as an increased police presence in the area following concerns over its links to organised crime groups (OCGs).

CHB is a multi-agency tactic developed by the Home Office and rolled out nationally. Its aim is to pursue gang members in order to clear an area before maintaining a hold over the location to prevent other gangs from taking control and then working with communities to make the area more resilient and less susceptible to OCGs.

This initiative has led to over 50 arrests of OCG-linked members, with nine moved out of the area and five sentenced to prison over a 14-month period between April 2022 and June 2023.

One of those jailed was Kian Thorpe - a prolific OCG member who was sentenced to 10 years behind bars after admitting possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply and shooting a man in the arm.

A lengthy and scrupulous investigation by our officers led to Thorpe's downfall and his conviction resulted in disrupting the activities of a key organised crime group in the Edlington area.

A series of operations and targeted days of actions have continued regularly throughout the year with warrants executed and patrol plans put in place, and as of November 2023, measured OCG activity within the area has significantly decreased.

Inspector Adrian Luscombe, of Doncaster South Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: "We have listened to the concerns faced by residents in Edlington and recognised that a lot of the issues raised are linked to organised crime.

"Drugs and weapon supplies along with violence and antisocial behaviour are all linked to OCGs and this behaviour had previously wreaked misery and havoc on the community.

"This is something we will not stand for and we have been fighting to secure a safer living and working environment for the people of Edlington and the surrounding areas.

"ThroughtCHB, we have made great strides in clearing the area of criminals linked to organised crime through targeted enforcement activity.

"Now, we are prepared to strategically hold and consolidate the area to prevent OCG members from filling a potential vacuum before moving into the build phase where we work with partners and the community to build Edlington into a more prosperous area that is free of OCG involvement.

"We are building more and more intelligence on these groups and the criminals associated with them. We have enquiries and lengthy investigations ongoing and we remain determined to dismantle these groups and stop them from inflicting any more harm on our communities."

Sergeant Chris Rogers, who oversees the neighbourhood team: "We host regular pop-in police stations for residents to come and speak to us about their concerns and to offer crime prevention advice. Whenever we receive information about criminality in the area, we work hard to ensure that reports are thoroughly investigated and positive action is taken.

"We can’t do this without the public’s help. I’d therefore urge anyone with information about crime in the Edlington area to contact police."

You can get in touch using the new live chat function, the online portal or by calling 101. You can access the online portal here https://www.southyorks.police.uk/contact-us/report-something/.

If you want to report information or concerns anonymously, you can get in touch with the independent charity Crimestoppers via their website – www.crimestoppers-uk-org – or by calling their UK Contact Centre on 0800 555 111.