Police arrest man in Heckmondwike on suspicion of kidnap after crackdown on violence against women

The arrest comes following a crackdown by volunteer Kirklees police hunting suspects for violence against women across England.

Enquiries remain ongoing by Kirklees Police after special constables from the district joined forces with colleagues from Wakefield Police with support from officers in South Yorkshire and Merseyside to end 2023 hunting down and disrupting offenders at large.

Officers attended at addresses in Kirklees, as well as at properties in Ellesmere Port and Rotherham, over the New Year’s weekend for the operation carried out as part of ongoing work by Kirklees Police to deter violence against women.

The operation resulted in the arrest of a man in Heckmondwike on suspicion of domestic kidnap and the arrest of a man in Ellesmere Port for robbery.

A man was also arrested in South Yorkshire on suspicion of taking a vehicle without consent.

Officers also visited multiple addresses to disrupt known offenders over the New Year’s weekend and gain intelligence to help better pinpoint the locations of those still wanted.

Chief Inspector Chantel Patrick of Kirklees Police, said: “Special constables play an integral role in policing in Kirklees and I want to thank our hard working volunteer officers for their excellent efforts in coordinating and executing this wide ranging operation.

“These arrests and disruption visits truly demonstrate that police borders provide no boundaries to operations of this kind, or the ability of special constables to hunt down suspects, no matter where they may try and hide.”

The operation was the last in a series of initiatives launched or maintained throughout 2023 to help make women and girls safer in Kirklees.

They included the deployment of plain clothes special constables on special patrols to catch those harassing or causing distress to women enjoying a night out in Huddersfield.

Other ongoing safety initiatives include the Night Safety Bus which continues to be deployed within Huddersfield town centre on busy evenings.

Its team of trained staff from Change Grow Live’s CHART Kirklees drug and alcohol service and Locala help people report sexual harassment and provide a safe space on a night out if someone is feeling threatened.

The Ask for Angela Scheme, through which women who feel at risk can ask trained bar staff for assistance, also continues to operate in venues in the town.

Meanwhile, Kirklees Police continues to operate and extend its Safe Zone scheme through which it has partnered with businesses and Kirklees Council to create safe spaces for women, girls and those at risk.

More than 200 Safe Zones were in operation by the end of 2023 in premises such as businesses, libraries, leisure centres and transport hubs.

Chief Inspector Rebecca Calpin of Kirklees Police added: “Our significant programme of work to reduce violence against women is continuing into 2024 with many more operations and initiatives planned.

“Women are becoming safer in Kirklees and we continue to strive to raise awareness of violence against females, provide protection for those at risk, and take positive action against suspects.

“Measures such as our Safe Zone scheme, anti-harassment patrols and the police supported Nigh Safety Bus all continue as do the efforts of our Catch and Control teams continue to locate those wanted for all manner of offences.”