The number of homes broken into across the county in the past three weeks has
fallen as Bedfordshire Police continues its campaign of openly disrupting and
deterring burglars and handlers as part of its tactic to suppress their
offending.
Codenamed Operation Sabre it is designed to target offenders and compliment
other activity in force under Operation Peak which looks at hotspots areas of
crime and Operation Vision, the crime reduction initiative that regularly tours
the county encouraging residents to ‘Stay Safe’.
In the past three weeks 12 people have been arrested for breaking into homes
demonstrating the force’s commitment to fighting crime and protecting the
public. Chief Inspector Jeff Carter who is leading the dedicated squad of
detectives, officers and PCSOs said:
“The work the Operation Sabre team is doing is very direct and intrusive on
those committing crime and requires a dedicated group of officers to work 24
hours a day making burglars lives very difficult. Having identified different
tiers of offenders who we know are committing, or thinking of committing crime,
we are now making sure they know we are watching them. We are randomly following
them, knocking on their doors and generally making our presence felt. If it is
not them it is their families or neighbours who are very much aware of our
tactics and so far this is helping to suppress the offenders’ activities.”
The Operation Sabre team is just one aspect of the force’s fight against
burglary. In addition local policing, CID, intelligence gatherers, ANPR and the
Roads Policing Unit are all united in the fight against burglary with regular
and ongoing enforcement activity targeted at this problem. As a result recent
figures show an 18% reduction in Domestic Burglary and a 32% reduction in other
burglary – the 6th largest and highest reduction respectively
recorded in England and Wales.
Chief Inspector Carter added; “We are not complacent and these figures can be
reduced still further. However, sustaining this level of monitoring of offenders
is a massive commitment but one Bedfordshire Police believes is worthwhile. We
urge the public to join us in this crusade by ensuring their home security is as
good as it can be as well passing on information they have about those people
committing crime.
Other ways to deter burglars include:
- Fit outside security lights and put gates across side passages
- Leave lights and a radio on when you go out
- Double check fences and boundaries for weak spots
- Fit security features such as window locks, patio door locks and a burglar alarm
- Never leave keys under mats and flower pots, it’s the first place burglars look
- Keep an eye out for strangers in your street, especially if they are selling property door to door. If you are suspicious, call the police.
- Help protect your neighbourhood by joining Home Watch, or becoming a co-ordinator
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