Essex Police To "Predict" Burglaries

24 October 2014, 10:22

Burglary

Essex Police is going to try to predict which homes will be targeted by burglars this Autumn in an attempt to reduce break-ins.

The force has launched its Autumn anti-burglary campaign and officers will analyse the areas where there have been burglaries recently and focus on properties there.

It is a tactic the force has developed as part of Operation Insight, which has resulted in a drop in the crime of more than 10% in the last year.

Chief Superintendent Carl O'Malley, who has been running the operation, said: "We launched Op Insight on October 1 last year and up until the end of September this year it had resulted in 823 fewer break-ins.

"Traditionally we see a rise in break-ins through autumn into winter but last year we saw a fall and I want to continue that trend. We aim to do that by continuing to refine Op Insight.

"We are continuing to analyse this activity to see how we can further improve the system.

"Every day we decide which zones are patrolled and where other supporting police activity takes place. We are also looking at overlaying stop and search data on the Insight maps to provide more intelligence on where our officers are best sent."

The force says the approach is based on the idea that many criminals will work in an area they know well and where they have been successful in the past.

Essex Police says: "Deployments of police officers, PCSOs, and partner agency patrols are concentrated in the areas which are ranked as higher or hyper-risk areas.

"The Insight model also provides information on key offenders who reside in that neighbourhood; allowing officers to monitor them and more effectively police that area.

"A mapping system shows these priority zones and police resources can be moved into the zones or simply informed of them when they are nearby."

Chief Superintendent O'Malley added: "I am sure that part of the success of Insight is down to this ‘cocooning’ process we carry out to alert neighbours to the risk of being burgled so they can take their own steps to effectively secure their homes.

"As we head into the autumn I would advise all householders across Essex to take stock of how well their homes are protected against burglars.

"Some of the things they can do are very simple such as setting timers so that lights come on and burglars cannot identify empty homes because they are in darkness."

Essex Police advise people to use the motto Secure, Protect and Prevent to help stop their homes being broken into. Among the steps the force suggests are:

  • Keep doors and windows locked - in 3 out of 10 burglaries access is gained through an open door or window.
  • Keep your garden tools under lock and key, fit substantial padlocks and security devices to shed doors and windows.
  • Make sure the shed is firmly anchored to the ground – it has been known for sheds to be lifted to let thieves inside.
  • Set timers for one or more lights to come on when it gets dark; and be aware of the changing time that this happens as winter approaches.
  • Burglars are less likely to target a house with an alarm so it's advisable to fit one.
  • A thorny hedge around your home can put thieves off but make sure passers-by can still see the front of your home so a burglar can't work unnoticed.
  • For more information go the burglary prevention section of the Essex Police website at http://www.essex.police.uk/be_safe/burglary.aspx