They are trying to stop the criminals who make the most of the long dark nights and relatives going to family gatherings to ruin other people’s Christmases.
Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Wilkinson said: “We know that historically, in the winter months, the number of burglaries committed rise, with burglars using the cover of darkness to commit crime.
“We are committed to taking a zero-tolerance approach to burglars, all year round.
“However, as part of Operation Cracker, we will be increasing our patrols across the region up to and including Christmas. Both high visibility and plain clothed officers will be out proactively deterring, disrupting, and catching those who commit burglaries.
“We are also asking for our communities to help and support us – we know that one in three burglaries are because homes are being left insecure. So, our Neighbourhood Policing Teams will be out in our communities, leaving our mark in the form of a footprint to encourage householders to lock their doors and help us stamp out burglaries.’’
“We know just one burglary is one too many and thankfully we are seeing less burglaries this year compared to last year, and our results are on the up.”
Their advice to all householders, especially those whose house may be empty during the festive season.
• Make sure front and rear doors are shut and locked – both when you leave the house but also on your return. If you lock the door behind you, it reduces the chance of forgetting it later and leaving it unlocked for thieves.
• Use a timer to switch on lights to make the house appear occupied, even when it isn’t – LED energy saving bulbs can help keep the cost down and reduce fire risk as they don’t heat up.
• The most common items taken in a burglary are car keys, cash and bank cards so keep them out of sight and not within reach of windows or letterboxes.
• Don’t leave spare keys in obvious places such as under doormats or plant pots.
• Always make sure any sheds and outbuildings are locked.
