Nine arrested in Leeds bank holiday crackdown on violence against women and girls
Nine men have been arrested during a police operation in Leeds targeting violence against women and girls over the bank holiday weekend.
The arrests were made as part of Operation Topaz, a national initiative that uses specialist Roads Policing tactics to locate and intercept high-risk offenders.
Running from Thursday, August 21, to Monday, August 25, the operation saw officers detain seven men from Leeds and two from Bradford.
Chief Inspector James Farrar, Roads Policing lead, said: “Operation Topaz highlights the critical role our Roads Policing officers play in disrupting and detecting crime. These results should send a clear message to offenders that we are constantly out on West Yorkshire’s roads, gathering intelligence and supporting our colleagues across all areas of policing to bring offenders to justice.
“By using the road network and all specialist tactics available to us, we can intervene early, support victims, and disrupt high-risk offenders.”
He added that the operation also supported West Yorkshire Police’s Vision Zero strategy to improve road safety.
“The traffic offences we dealt with over the weekend included the ‘Fatal 5’ driver behaviours such as careless driving and not wearing a seatbelt, and we are committed to taking firm action against those who break the law,” he said.
Detective Chief Inspector Carl Morrison, Deputy Strategic Lead for Violence Against Women & Girls, Rape and Serious Sexual Offences, said: “Women and girls have a right to feel protected wherever they are and we remain absolutely committed to breaking the cycle of abuse, intervening early to protect victims and holding offenders accountable.
“These results highlight the powerful impact that can be delivered when different policing teams work together, using the specialist expertise of RPU to intercept suspects.”
The following arrests were made as part of Operation Topaz:
- A 38-year-old man from Leeds – suspicion of controlling and coercive behaviour and assault by beating
- A 37-year-old man from Bradford – suspicion of controlling and coercive behaviour
- A 49-year-old man from Leeds – suspicion of controlling or coercive behaviour
- A 56-year-old man from Leeds – suspicion of harassment without violence
- A 55-year-old man from Leeds – suspicion of stalking
- A 48-year-old man from Bradford – suspicion of breaching a non-molestation order
- A 25-year-old man from Leeds – suspicion of assault by beating
- A 32-year-old man from Leeds – suspicion of stalking
- A 40-year-old man from Leeds – suspicion of stalking involving serious alarm