Disrupting, enforcing and protecting – the work of Tactical Enforcement Units
Yesterday we told you that the town’s Linton Gardens had become a priority area for Hastings Police in its fight against drugs. Today we take a look at the Tactical Enforcement Units set up by Sussex Police in December last year and the role they are playing in fighting the same battle across Sussex.
Sussex Police’s Tactical Enforcement Units (TEUs) have been busy making arrests, disrupting criminals and protecting victims over the last month.
The TEU is a proactive police unit, which was set up in December last year to target Sussex’s most prolific offenders.
Working with Hastings Prevention team officers, the TEU carried out a drug warrant at a flat in St Leonards and seized a large quantity of heroin, crack cocaine and cannabis worth more than £20,000 along with £1,500 in cash and phones.
Four people at the address were arrested, one was a 35-year-old man who was detained on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin and was wanted on a warrant. The other were a 25-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs and a 18-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman who were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs. They have all been released on bail until July 5th.
The TEUs work across Sussex and in recent weeks have carried out two separate drugs warrants in Brighton – one where a 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs, possession of cannabis, a domestic assault and an assault. The team discovered several bags of white powder, cash and mobile phones. He was later released under investigation pending more enquiries.
The other warrant saw a man and a woman arrested on suspicion of supplying cannabis. Drugs, cash and weapons including flick knives were seized. A man aged 20 and a woman aged 44 were later released under investigation.
There is also a West Sussex TEU that was launched at the end of May to cover the West Sussex division has also been busy carrying out warrants and making an arrests in Worthing and Littlehampton.
The unit was set up to target exactly those people, while helping to keep communities safe.
TEUs are made up of eight PCs and a Sergeant. There will be furher expansion of the units in July with dedicated teams establihed in Brighton and Hove and East Sussex divisions.
Inspector Dan Hiles, who is leading the TEU, said: “The TEU has been created to disrupt, enforce and protect and that’s what the teams have been doing. The first TEU team which was set up at the end of December made 19 arrests, carried out 91 stop and searches targeting serious and organised criminals and created 75 intelligence reports in May alone.
“There is no officer who enjoys the idea of a criminal evading justice. The unit was set up to target exactly those people, while helping to keep communities safe.”
