NEARLY 70 people have been arrested in just one week of a two-week campaign by Hampshire Police to trace and detain those wanted on DNA and fingerprint hits. Operation Resolution is a two-week force- wide campaign in which all officers across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are being asked to revisit case files and pursue all suspects identified through the forensic intelligence evidence. The campaign began on Monday, January 24, and will end on February 7. At the end of the first week, officers and staff had made a significant impact into the outstanding cases by arresting a total of 67 people. Those arrested were detained across the two counties for crimes ranging from vehicle theft and burglary to drugs and wounding offences. The operation is being driven by the forensic intelligence unit which is processing the intelligence as it comes in and has prepared forensic packages to aid in the arrest of outstanding suspects. Extra resources from the Netley-based force support unit have been made available to assist in arrests. "This operation is about making the best use of forensic intelligence to clear up outstanding crime and improve detection rates across the Force," said Superintendent Peter Goodall, who is co- ordinating Operation Resolution. "As is frequently said 'every contact leaves a trace', and as forensic science techniques continue to get better and better we are now arresting more people who thought they had got away with their crimes. "For some it will be an opportunity to admit other offences they have committed, before we revisit them with further forensic evidence either at the door of the court or upon leaving prison. "Operation Resolution presents the opportunity for some of those individuals to make a late new year's resolution and to admit to their past crimes and leave a clean slate, without the fear of the next knock on the door being a police officer with further forensic kit, wanting to have a 'chat' it is a risk and maybe one that they cannot afford to take? "This first week has been a good start and with a further week to follow we can expect continuing good results but it won't stop there. Hampshire Constabulary is committed to driving down crime, and bringing offenders to justice is our resolution."
