An operational focus by Hampshire Constabulary to banish burglary in December, in a bid to tackle acquisitive crime over the festive period, has been hailed a success.
Officers from the dedicated Operation Hawk teams worked with colleagues from Neighbourhood Policing, Response and Patrol and other specialist resources across the force to develop intelligence, prevent burglaries from taking place and maximise the forensic potential where crimes had been committed.
The campaign, known as Operation Banish, included crime prevention messaging and encouragement to the public to report suspicious activity that could be linked to burglary.
Between 29th November and 31st December, a total of 313 residential burglaries were reported to the force. A further 279 break-ins to sheds and garages were also reported.
The proactive work undertaken towards Operation Banish over the same period led to:
- A total of 55 people arrested in relation to 112 offences, 16 of whom faced formal action being taken such as charges
- Attendance to 567 of the 592 reports, with 246 (43%) being attended within an hour (or less) due to the grading of the call received.
- Forensic opportunities were identified at 92 burglaries when specialist officers attended. Enquiries are ongoing in these investigations to identify further suspects as results from these forensic opportunities continue to be obtained.
- A total of 153 social media posts relating to burglary arrests, charges, crime prevention, and appeals were issued between the start of overt activity on 6th December and 31st December across Neighbourhood Policing Facebook and Twitter accounts. The combined reach of these posts was 2,057,118 people
Chief Inspector Marcus Cator who led the Operation Banish activity said:
“We understand how distressing burglary can be for victims. It’s not simply a case of valuables being stolen, but the emotional impact of this and the effect it can have on people feeling safe in their own home. We provide support to victims as part of our response to burglary, but this is why it’s so important that people report suspicious activity to us in the first place as it can help us to prevent offending before it has even happened.
“Our Neighbourhood Teams have been building a comprehensive picture of what’s been happening in our communities, and this really helped us to target our Operation Banish activity.
Article continues below this advertisement “The figures speak for themselves. We’ve made some significant arrests as part of this focus on burglary and are working hard with the forensic opportunities that have presented themselves to secure further evidence and convictions where possible.
“Traditionally burglary reports increase around Christmas with darker evenings and people buying valuables as presents. I’m pleased that teams from across the force have tackled this issue so confidently and provided an excellent level of service to our communities. We’ll continue to take the same approach where we can, regardless of the time of year to tackle and prevent acquisitive crime across Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight”.
You can also help to protect your home and property by following some simple steps:
- Lock all windows and doors, remembering to double-lock UPVC doors by lifting the handle and turning the key. Remove keys from the window and door lock and keep in a safe place out of reach and sight from the letterbox or windows.
- Remove valuables from view of ground floor windows. Register your property for free on www.immobilise.com
- Ensure side and back gates are locked to prevent access to the rear of the property. Also make sure sheds and garages are locked with reliable and robust locks to deter any potential burglars. Choose a product which is tested and certified by Sold Secure and Secured by Design to the Police Preferred Specification.
- Do not leave ladders and garden tools in your garden; lock them away in your shed. Improve natural surveillance to the front of your property by trimming hedges.
- Consider installing an intruder alarm system by contacting an approved contractor who is a member of the National Security Inspectorate and Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board.
- A house that appears occupied is less likely to be targeted by burglars, installing light switch timers inside the house can help make it appear occupied. Likewise, dusk to dawn or sensor lighting to the front and rear of your home can help deter potential thieves
For info on how to protect your home visit https://www.hampshire.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/protect-home-crime/.
Confused dot com.
Am I missing something here ?
Ain’t the local police force ment to work 12 months of the year ?
There is zero knife crime and gang culture here on the island, not like mainland forces. There are a lot of drink/drug driving, but probably no more then the rest of the country % wise. So what are they giving there selves a pat on the back for, and for what reason exactly ? Doing there job ?
Didn’t someone get stabbed in the eye in a murder like last week or so? Zero knife crime…right.
This is good as far as it goes, but it needs to be EVERY month, not just December. Also, telling us about the number of social media messages posted during the period is, quite frankly, pointless. I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking that the person sitting posting messages on social media could be far better employed actually being out and about in town centres being a visible uniformed presence.