Almost 150 arrests were made in one week in Essex as police say they are “on the front foot of fighting crime”. 

A substantial number of warrants and arrests of wanted individuals for high-harm crimes such as sexual offences, drug offences, burglaries, robberies and assaults were executed between October 21 and 29. 

Among these was a man wanted in connection with a serious sexual assault on a woman in her 60s, who has now been arrested, charged and will appear at Crown Court in Chelmsford later this month. 

Police also stopped a driver on the A12 who drove without insurance and was found with Class A and Class B drugs. 

A property outside of Essex connected to the suspect was searched after the incident and police seized cash, suspected Class A drugs, as well as equipment in connection with the substances. 

More than 1,750 speed checks were carried out, resulting in the recording of 538 traffic offences and the seizing of 78 vehicles, including scramblers and e-scooters unfit for the road. 

Assistant Chief Constable Andy Mariner said: “Our ongoing crackdown on serious and high-harm crime means that crime is down in Essex. 

“And we’re not just out on the street and arresting suspects – we’re solving more sexual crimes, more robberies and more burglaries than this time last year. 

“This is thanks to the fantastic commitment of our teams countywide, and our commitment as a force to use all the tools we have at our disposal to prevent crime and catch criminals. 

“These arrests show that criminals in our county should expect to hear from us.” 

For the first time, Essex Police deployed Live Facial Recognition technology with mobile cameras on vans in public areas in Southend and Chelmsford. 

The technology made five positive alerts, resulting in arrests made in connection with rape and robbery investigations, and an outstanding warrant. 

Additionally, another positive alert was made for someone the police wanted to speak to in connection with an ongoing sexual abuse case, who will be interviewed voluntarily at a later date. 

Detective Superintendent Stephen Jennings said: “Essex Police is a forward-thinking force, and we are always looking at how new technology can help us keep people safe, catch criminals, and deter crime. 

“The vans also acted as a talking point with the public and gave us an opportunity to speak to them about its use and how it works. I’m pleased to say that the reaction we’ve had has been overwhelmingly positive.”