Initiative to tackle rise in burglaries launched by West Mercia Police
West Mercia Police will today launch Citadel, a new forcewide initiative aimed at driving down the number of burglaries committed in the force area.
Whilst burglary levels remain relatively low in the West Mercia Police force area compared to other parts of the country, since April there have been around 140 more burglaries than had been expected based on previous years' crime patterns.
In response to this West Mercia Police is launching Citadel. The force's new Assistant Chief Constable Gareth Morgan has been tasked with leading the initiative, which will involve the deployment of a range of operational tactics to catch burglars and a targeted crime prevention advice campaign.
The operational tactics include greater analysis of crime patterns, coordinated use of new technology such as Automatic Number Plate Recognition software, partnership work as well as more traditional policing tactics such as high visibility patrols in burglary hotspots.
The new approaches are being targeted on known or suspected criminals and have led to the arrest of over 600 people since April. Where the evidence is sufficiently strong these people are being charged by the Crown Prosecution Service and sent to court.
Since April 2010, 1237 people living in West Mercia have been convicted of burglary.
Assistant Chief Constable Morgan commented: "West Mercia Police is being very pro-active and we are seeing the results of our focused operational activity every day. However, there is a lot that homeowners and businesses can do to make their properties more secure. We are concerned that many people to do not take the threat of burglary seriously enough.
"Experience tells us that burglars often live reasonably close to their victims. They work a local patch and will return to or near to properties they have already broken into. Every day we have burglaries reported to us where someone has entered a property through an open window or an unlocked door".
"West Mercia Police is urging people to act on the crime prevention advice they regularly receive from the force and other local organisations. Much of this advice is easy to follow such as make sure doors and windows are locked and secure. As the nights draw in put a light on when you go out to give the impression someone is in.
"More detailed crime prevention advice is available on the force website and will be promoted through a new Twitter account, @CitadelWMP."
Assistant Chief Constable Morgan added: "Homeowners can also help by ringing 999 if they see anything suspicious in their area or by providing information on people we are interested in speaking to about burglaries.
"Today, we have published details of some of these people on the new ‘Wanted' section of the force website and this page will be developed over the coming weeks to display images of individuals we wish to trace in relation to a wide variety of offences.
"If you know anything about anyone featured on this page, where they are now living for example, please call us on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 and we will then pay them a visit."
