The police had a busy weekend.
From 8am on Friday to 8am Monday – the last weekend before Christmas and usually a busy time for the police – 177 calls for service were logged at the Emergency Services Joint Control Room.
Twenty-four arrests were made, 15 of those being in the course of Friday night.
People were detained for a wide range of offences, including possession of drugs (five), driving while over the prescribed limit (three) assault and public order (eight) drunkenness offences (8) criminal damage (one) and possession of an offensive weapon (one).
Chief Inspector Phil Shimmin, who oversees operational policing said: ‘We always gear up for a busy weekend just before Christmas, and uniformed patrols were out in force, with a mix of regular and special constabulary officers. ‘Friday night into Saturday was particularly busy, and this was the first time the extra capacity the new custody facility provided was really tested.
‘A number of people were charged and will be appearing in court shortly, whereas others have been bailed pending further inquiries into their cases.’
He added: ‘I’d like to take the opportunity to publicly thank the officers who were out over the busy weekend for their hard work.
‘We won’t be stepping down our vigilance and focus on keeping people safe over the rest of the holidays, and I’d ask people to keep the drink safe – drive safe – go safe message at the forefront of their minds.’