A SPECIALIST police team have been beating the burglars this winter by hitting crime hotspots and keeping the pressure on known offenders.
Officers have made 55 arrests, stopped 205 suspicious-looking people and recovered 14 stolen vehicles since Operation Bellum was set up on November 26.
The operation has meant a trebling of the number of officers focussing on burglary on a daily basis from six to an average of 18.
Latest figures show their efforts have cut the crime by a third. Between November 26 and December 10 there were 41 burglaries, 20 fewer than the same period the year before.
Detective inspector Tony O'Sullivan, in charge of the operation, said: “Around Christmas and shortly after there is always a spike in burglaries. People may have reasonably high value items at home which they've got as presents, that's one reason.”
Officers use a range of tactics, visible and covert, to both deter criminals and catch them in the act.
They include keeping tabs on known offenders, watching out for suspicious-looking characters and spotting telltale signs of a vehicle being used for crime, such as being fitted with false number plates.
Mr O'Sullivan said it was the extra manpower which has really made the difference. He said: “We're able to swamp a hotspot area with both uniformed and plain clothes officers so when someone reports a burglary there we can react much faster.”
He said burglars are just as likely to strike during the day while everyone is at work as they are at night when householders are sleeping.
And called on the public to help protect themselves against raiders by making sure they leave their homes secure, even if just quickly popping out to the shops.
He said: “Many of the burglaries we're experiencing are preventable. It can be as simple as a window left open or unlocked. A lot of burglars don't like breaking glass, it makes a noise and tends to leave forensic evidence behind.
“It's an evil crime which can have a traumatic effect on people's lives. We're committed to driving it down and are asking for the public's help in doing that.”
Top 10 tips to stop you becoming a burglary victim
Mark or etch your property with your postcode, house or flat number or the first three letters of your house name.
Register items with a serial number on immobilise database www.immobilise.com
Do not leave your car keys, valuables or ID documents near a door, letterbox or window.
Always check who is at the door and do not open it if you feel anxious.
Close and lock all your doors and windows, even if you are only going out for a few minutes.
Keep your valuables out of sight
Leave some lights on if it will be dark before you get home
Fit a mortice lock to your front door and other external doors. Consider installing a burglar alarm.
Always keep sheds and outbuildings locked
Cancel milk or other deliveries if you will be away for days or weeks at a time.
Gazette reporter joins police at burglary hotspot - page 2
HEADING out to a burglary hotspot with officers on Friday and looking at the snow I have to admit I did not have high hopes of seeing much.
Bad weather is known to keep criminals away and with number plates partially obscured it would surely be hard for electronic readers to flag up cars whose owners are up to no good.
But thanks to the keen eyes and local knowledge of detective sergeant Steve Henderson and PC Richard Thomas it was not long before a stolen car was picked up during my short time with them.
They noticed the red Honda had not moved for about five days in the Northolt estate, prompting them to punch its licence plate into their car's onboard computer.
The technology gives them access to the Met's database at the touch of a button which a passenger can use even when their car is being driven along.
The stolen car was later towed away to be forensically examined in the hunt for leads.
Mr Henderson, said: "When you visit the streets so often you notice what's new and what's out of place, like cars which haven't moved for a long time."
The pair had their eyes peeled for false registration plates or anyone acting suspiciously as well as known offenders. Information on the latter is shared across the boroughs and officers are briefed on names, faces and their cars before heading out on patrol.
Mr Henderson, said: "People use false plates for a number of different reasons, to rob petrol stations, to disguise a stolen car or other criminality."
Once spotted officers can then keep tabs on the vehicle and hopefully catch the criminals in the act.
The officers’ experience is often key in helping them catch burglars and others up to no good. Mr Henderson said: “You notice people who seem they don’t belong, such as those seeming to walk along without a purpose.”
He said police cannot be everywhere at once and called on the public to help them by reporting suspicious behaviour.
He added: “A neighbour might see a man knock on a door who then goes around the side and not think anything of it until there’s a burglary. People don’t think to call us. Nine times out of ten it might be nothing but we’ll always be grateful for your call.”
Before my time was up the unmarked car with us equipped with an automatic number plate reader picked a car connected to a wanted burglar.
It was stopped but it was not being driven by the wanted man and allowed to carry on.
Mr Thomas explained that officers often stop people with a history of offending and get to know them well.
He said: “We let them know we’re watching them but also build relationships with them. You can learn a lot from them.”
