Police deal with 408 incidents in 24 hours

The incident was one of 408 that police in ‘North Area Command’ dealt with from 7am on Thursday, December 17 and 7am on Friday 18th December.

North Area Command covers Mid and East Antrim, Antrim and Newtownabbey, Derry/Londonderry and Strabane and Causeway Coast and Glens

Among the incidents, police dealt with were burglaries, robberies, and theft, including the theft of a high value lorry from a local business in Coleraine.

A post on the PSNI North Coast Facebook paged thanked officer for their quick actions, and reporter that ‘a man was quickly arrested in Omagh in connection with that incident and the lorry was recovered.’

Also in Coleraine, a man arrested for making threats to kill a taxi driver and for stealing a TV from a local supermarket.

There were arrests for drug possession in Limavady and Ballyclare, and another for drink driving in Coleraine.

Police also revealed that proactive search operations also uncovered two cannabis factories, one in Derry/Londonderry and the other in Whitehead.

The post read: “We also made two arrests in Ballymena in connection with a Northern Ireland-wide investigation into a series of thefts from parking metres.

“Between 28th September 2015 and 17th December 2015 39 incidents were reported to us across NI.

“This resulted in establishment of a dedicated team, comprised of officers from a range of police disciplines, targeting the issue through a specific and proactive operation. Last night this operation yielded results with the arrest of two male suspects and the seizure of a large number of evidential items.

“Throughout this 24 hour period your local police officers have dealt with violent and intoxicated individuals, responded to crimes in progress, pursued suspects on foot - even through rivers, located missing people, carried out searches, interviewed arrested people, conducted follow up enquiries and seized drugs, weapons and items that we believe may be stolen or which can be used in the commission of criminal offences. This is the kind of work we are out there doing every day in addition to regular patrolling and our community-based engagement projects. In the run-up to Christmas we want people to know that we are here, on duty 24/7, working extremely hard to keep you safe.”