Criminals' cash to worthy causes

North Yorkshire secured its highest-ever confiscation order and had great pleasure in donating money from a £24,000 pot of cash seized from criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act to charities and worthy causes

North Yorkshire Police secured its highest-ever confiscation order after a convicted drug dealer was ordered to repay £354,500 of his illegally-earned cash.

Detective Inspector Ian Wills said: “This is a major success for North Yorkshire Police, not only in securing the conviction of
a man who orchestrated a large drug-dealing operation, but it
also demonstrates that we have the capacity and capability to
vigorously pursue and confiscate those assets obtained through criminality.

“It sends a very clear message to the criminal world that not only will they face the full force of the law, but we will use the Proceeds of Crime Act to its full potential to hit them where it hurts the most, their pocket.”

The “Why should they?” campaign supports the Proceeds of
Crime Act and encourages members of the public to pass information to Crimestoppers about people they suspect of living off illegal earnings.

It asks the question: “Criminals are living at the expense of lawabiding members of the public – why should they?” Since April 2010, the North Yorkshire Police Financial Investigation Unit has seized more than £600,000 of cash and assets from criminals.

In May this year, North Yorkshire Police and the Local Criminal
Justice Board offered cash from a £24,000 pot of cash seized from criminals to local community groups and charities
across North Yorkshire.

Over 200 applications were received and the money was
divided between two good causes in each of the seven districts of North Yorkshire.

Young children and their families benefited from the first chunk
of criminals’ cash when £1,650 was donated to the Harrogate
and Knaresborough Toy Library for the purchase of books, jigsaws, story sacks, activity packs and toys in dual languages.

School sport benefits

Over 1,000 school children across Ryedale are set to benefit from specialist sports equipment paid for by cash seized from criminals.

A cheque for £1,949.98 was presented to Ryedale School
Sport Co-ordinator Programme by Detective Inspector Ian Wills,
who heads North Yorkshire’s Financial Investigation Unit.

The money was used to buy two rowing machines for secondary and primary schools across the district to support the indoor rowing league and give children the opportunity to become involved in sport and sports leadership.

The machines will be transported around schools in the area,
giving access to all children and providing opportunities to compete at local and national level.

Phil Marwood, head of PE at Ryedale School, (pictured below
with DI Wills) said: “After Christmas the primary schools in our
catchment area will have the opportunity to take part in an inter-school rowing challenge.”

Detective Inspector Wills said:“It’s a great pleasure to be able
to make a contribution to our local communities in this way. It’s
very satisfying to know that we have hit criminals where it hurts and children and young people will benefit from the cash.”
Cash boost for charity Another successful bid for some of the £24,000 available to community groups and charities is the High Bentham charity, which is now £1,912 better off thanks to criminals’ cash seized under the Why should they? Campaign.

Pioneer Project’s Creative Kitchen Garden will use the cash to buy a market stall and marquee to sell produce and provide extra space for activities.

Jay Haigh of Pioneer Projects said: “We are delighted that our
bid was successful. The cash is a very welcome boost and will help us raise even more funds to help support our projects.”

The cheque was presented by Inspector Kevin Franks and was followed by a lantern parade through the town. Inspector Franks and representatives of the Local Criminal Justice Board carried a lantern specially made for them by the charity (see top photo).

Inspector Franks, pictured with Jay Haigh, said: “Criminals make
law-abiding citizens’ lives a misery.

It is great to be able to hit them where it hurts and give their
ill-gotten gains back to charities, such as Pioneer Projects, who
make such a difference to local people.”

The project offers disadvantaged and unemployed adults in North Craven the opportunity to develop practical and social
skills and gain confidence and work experience through making,
displaying and selling crafts and produce at local events and
markets.

Donation to life-savers
A team of rescue volunteers have upgraded their vital communications equipment thanks to cash recovered from North Yorkshire’s criminals.

Scarborough and Rydedale Mountain Rescue Team made
a successful bid for £1,800 to replace hand-held radios that
provide crucial communications during rescue operations.

Team member Andrew Priestley said: “We are delighted to receive the grant towards replacing our hand-held radio sets, these are such vital pieces of equipment for the team. It is satisfying to know that money seized from criminals can now be used to support the work of a charity and its volunteer members.”

Superintendent Javad Ali said: “During my 28 years of
policing, I have called upon the team’s services many times
and would like to pass on my thanks for their tireless work in
saving many lives in what are often dangerous conditions.

“It is always satisfying to see criminals denied the proceeds of
their illegal activity, it is even better when it is given back to volunteers who risk their own lives to help others.”

The Mountain Rescue Team works closely with North Yorkshire
Police and Yorkshire Ambulance Service to provide assistance in
search and rescue operations and has responded to 50 incidents this year alone.

Homecare for terminally ill
A local charity that helps terminally-ill people is £1,604 better
off courtesy of the county’s criminals.

Assistant Chief Constable Tim Madgwick presented a cheque
for £1,604 to Herriot Hospice Homecare, which aims to give
terminally-ill patients the opportunity to remain at home by
providing specialist palliative care workers and trained volunteers over an area of 1,000 square miles.

Each year they assist approximately 360 families. Irene Bosomworth from the charity said: “We are delighted with the extra cash, it is a very welcome boost to our ongoing fundraising efforts and will pay for a marquee to house our charity stall that we take to various local events.”

ACC Madgwick commented:“It gives us great pleasure to give
criminals’ cash to such a deserving organisation.

“The charity provides a vital service to people in distressing
circumstances and we are very humbled to be able to provide
some help towards their service.

“Our only regret is that we could not donate more. We hope our contribution goes a long way in helping to raise even more funds for this much-valued service.”

Centre photo shows ACC Madgwick pictured with DS Dave
Edwards of the Financial Investigation Unit (right).

Windfall for volunteers
Voluntary organisations across York can boost their fundraising
capability thanks to the city’s criminals.

Superintendent Lisa Winward, who presented a cheque
for £1,749 to the Priory Street Centre, said: “It gives me great
pleasure to present this money to the centre, they do fantastic
work across the city, making a difference to the lives of many
people.

“It is very satisfying to know that the cash has been taken
from criminals and that the Proceeds of Crime Act allows us to
really hit them where it hurts the most – their pocket. Even
better that we can return some of their ill-gotten gains to our
communities.”

Manager of the Priory Street Centre, Kenny Lieske, said: “We
are delighted with the donation. In a remarkable twist of fate, less than a year after being the victims of crime, we get some cash back from the criminal fraternity!

“The funds have been used to add to our ‘Beyond the Centre’
project by purchasing an extensive range of additional fundraising toolkits that can be hired by small community groups for their fundraising activities.”

Saved by proceeds of crime
Another slice of criminals’ cash from the £24,000 seized from
criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act was handed over
to Kelfield Village Institute near Selby.

Sergeant Edward Simpson handed over a cheque for £750
as villagers celebrated the reopening of the hall.

The money has been put towards the cost of replacing the
floor of the village institute. Local resident Gillian Little said:
“In April we discovered that the hall, the last remaining public building in the village, had serious problems with the floor that required complete replacement.

“The building was built and bequeathed to the villagers in
the 1920s and if work to replace the floor was not able
to start within a few months, there was a real danger that the
building would close.

“Without the substantial grant from the Why should
they? campaign we would not now have a new floor.”

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