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Police launch blitz on car crime and burglary
Police officers enter a property at Crookesmoor
POLICE raided a property in Sheffield looking for stolen goods as part of a new blitz on break-ins and car crime in three city suburbs.
The raid was organised as part of Operation Kiwi, which involves a team of 20 officers trying to cut crime particularly in Broomhall, Nether Edge and Sharrow.
The latest figures available from South Yorkshire Police show there has been a surge of 24 per cent in the number of house burglaries in the suburbs.
Break-ins have risen in the areas to 285 offences during April to December last year, compared to 230 during the same period the year before.
Yesterday officers swooped on a property on Harcourt Road in nearby Crookesmoor, looking for stolen property they thought may have been stored there.
But they were unable to find anything suspicious and opted against making any arrests.
Inspector Tom Fisher, who is overseeing the crackdown, said uniformed officers are patrolling crime hotspots to deter thieves, and undercover officers are working around the clock looking for opportunist thieves.
“Burglary and auto crime are force priorities and in Sheffield we have seen a slight increase in these offences, which is why Operation Kiwi is being run,” he said.
“It is about raising the profile of the work we are doing, by proactively looking for those involved but also helping residents to help us by making them aware how vulnerable their homes and cars are when they leave them insecure and with valuables on display.
“The aim is to use the latest technology combined with good old fashioned policing to apprehend and deter opportunistic criminals - those responsible for sneak-in thefts and breaking into cars.
“We have officers in uniform and undercover stopping people on the streets to ask what they are doing but we are also telling the public too, because these thieves may try 100 doors before they find one that is open, and once they do they will be in and will steal your valuables.”
Thefts from vehicles in the suburbs have dropped - down 12 per cent to 282 offences during April to December last year, compared to 320 in the same period the year before.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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