Essex Police Roads Policing officers have been busy tackling crime on our roads.

As part of a national operation called Operation Topaz, which targets people using roads to commit serious crimes, our officers made 19 arrests over two nights.

We’re especially focused on keeping women and girls safe, and these proactive patrols help support that goal.

• On Friday 1 August, officers made 10 arrests for offences like drink and drug driving, supplying drugs, and dangerous driving.
• The next night, they made 9 more arrests.

Out of the 19 arrests:

• 9 drivers were suspected of drug driving.
• 3 drivers were suspected of drink driving.
• One driver had young children in the car, putting them at risk.

In total:

• 164 vehicles were stopped.
• Officers spoke to each driver.

Some arrests were linked to more serious crimes:

• One man was arrested for not paying fines worth £6,700.
• Two men were arrested after officers stopped a car with a broken brake light and found 19 bags of cannabis and over £1,000 hidden in a jacket.

There were also arrests that helped other police forces:

• Two men were handed over to London police—one for indecent assault of a child, the other for domestic harassment.

Thanks to tips from young people, another man was arrested in his car for outraging public decency. He was also found to be disqualified from driving.

Inspector Carl Habbershaw said:

“It’s vital we enforce laws that protect people and hold offenders accountable. Our officers are trained to find those who pose a risk to women and girls. We’re working to stop domestic violence, grooming, and sexual assaults by identifying suspects and sharing information with specialist teams. I believe our work will help prevent future violence, reduce crime, and support victims.”

Summary of results from 1–2 August:

• 19 arrests
• 60 traffic offence reports
• 27 vehicles seized
• £3,500 cash seized

This article originally appeared on essexpolicemedia.co.uk and was republished with permission.