Police catch the bus to tackle vandals

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Yorkshire said:

POLICE are taking the bus to tackle crime and vandalism in Leeds.

But their transport is no ordinary single-decker. It is a spy wagon fitted out with a battery of cameras to infiltrate vandalism hotspots in the city.
From the outside, it looks the same as any other bus and police hope it will be able drive around crime hotspots without attracting attention.
But instead of passengers it will be manned by plainclothes police ready to spring into action.
The bus is being loaned to the Safer Leeds Partnership and the police by First Leeds.
Operations director David Phillips said: "The aim is to catch young vandals who cause a lot of problems for us and our passengers by throwing missiles at vehicles or placing objects in the road.
"The potential is clearly there for someone to be seriously injured. We are hoping that this initiative will prevent that."
He said that when not in use as a 'Trojan horse', the bus would be on normal service.
A double decker bus is also being kitted out .
Insp Nick Smart, of east Leeds Neighbourhood Policing Team, added: "The bus is a useful tool to combat criminal damage and also be used to identify hotspots along various routes in the city."
Insp Granville Ward, of the Safer Leeds partnership, said the bus would be followed by an unmarked car, with police officers inside as support .
He added: "We have done a similar thing in the past, where we have followed buses around as well as putting police officers on buses in troubled areas. This bus differs in that it will have only police officers on board.
"The bus has CCTV cameras which give a 360 degrees view."
He said that the missile throwing problem was across the whole of the city although the York Road corridor was a particular problem area.

From Yorkshire Evening Post