MPS Launch Seasonal Burglary Campaign

The Metropolitan Police Service has launched a seasonal crackdown on burglary, in an effort to tackle 25% rise in residential burglary offences traditionally see during autumn and winter.

Operation Bumblebee kicks off this week, with officers intensifying their work to target offenders and prevent offences, whilst calling on Londoners to act now and follow basic crime prevention advice to prevent them from being a target. 

Police said that as the clocks go back, and nights draw in, homes remain in darkness for longer, making them easier targets, the public is advised to:

• Ensure doors and windows are properly locked with a key when leaving home;

• Keep valuables out of sight and out of reach;

• Lock side gates and store bins behind them;

• Avoid leaving packaging outside, which indicate you have expensive new items in your home, especially around Christmas time.

As part of Operation Bumblebee, officers will employ a range of proactive measures including traditional tactics and the use of science and technology.

This includes the roll-out of an innovative forensic property marking system named MetTrace in partnership with SmartWater®, which was launched in May and is now being delivered to every London borough. 

Residents are provided with a kit, to mark their property with a unique code identifiable to any police officer or second hand goods buyer. 

In total, 440,000 kits will be distributed over the next three years.

Other activities include using predictive crime mapping, which takes historic crime data and models the likely locations for future offences. 

Specialist manhunt teams will be deployed to track down the most evasive wanted burglary suspects, whilst high visibility patrols will take place in burglary hot spots, driven by the use of predictive crime mapping. 

Officers will be using super cocooning to support victims and prevent offences in the surrounding neighbourhood; following a burglary it is not uncommon that burglars will target a number of houses in the same street. 

Super cocooning works by encouraging residents to be extra vigilant and security conscious. Safer Neighbourhoods teams pay a home visit to victims and their neighbours, as soon as possible after an offence is reported, to give crime prevention advice, gather local intelligence, whilst patrols are stepped up in the area. 

Under Operation Neptune, the Met maps second-hand markets, negotiates a voluntary Code of Conduct for premises to record sellers' personal details, checks property with the National Mobile Phone Crime Unit and informs local police when stolen property comes into their possession. There are regular visits and audit checks by local officers.

Commander Simon Letchford, leading Operation Bumblebee, said: "Burglary can be a very traumatic experience and have a long-lasting impact on victims.

"The Met is committed to driving down burglary and is working hard every day to prevent offences, arrest offenders and support victims. 

"We have introduced innovative methods to identify and target offenders, including the use of traceable liquids, which will benefit 440,000 homes across London over the next three years. Burglaries are the lowest they have ever been since 1974, however there are still too many people falling victim and there is more to do to tackle this.

"As part of this work, we urge Londoners to take action to safe guard their homes by following our simple crime prevention advice. By thinking like a burglar, and noticing and addressing where your home and possessions may be vulnerable, you can reduce the chances of it happening to you."

(MH/CD)