Dramatic fall in burglaries of local rural outbuildings
Tuesday, 14th December 2010.
Villagers around Haverhill have seen a dramatic fall in crime thanks to the hard work of the St Edmundsbury Rural South Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) over the past year.
The team has focused on reducing the number of burglaries of items such as lawnmowers and power tools from sheds, garages and outhouses on farms and rural properties since late last year.
The latest crime statistics reveal a 37 per cent decrease in burglaries, with 46 fewer victims from the beginning of 2010 to the end of November compared with the same period last year. There has also been a 28 per cent reduction in overall crime, with 121 fewer victims.
This success is a result of the campaign launched by the SNT to identify and target offenders, as well as working with crime reduction officers to offer education and improve awareness of crime prevention issues.
Officers increased high-visibility patrols, which were also supplemented by response officers from Haverhill and the Babergh West SNT. Crime pattern analysis was undertaken to ensure that these patrols were targeted at key times.
Officers visited victims of such crime to offer advice and reduce the risk of repeat offences. A special seminar was also held on November 26 with a number of presentations for farmers on tackling rural crime. The response from farmers at the event was overwhelmingly positive, with many requesting follow-up visits.
Key schemes such as Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) and Farmwatch have also been used to full effect, with Farmwatch membership increasing considerably from 70 to 186 members.
Sgt Kevin Horton said: “This reduction in crime is excellent news for residents and business owners in the area.
"There was a very noticeable increase in these sorts of offences in late 2009 and early 2010, but due to the hard work of SNT officers, crime reduction officers and neighbouring police teams, a clear message has been sent to offenders that any crime will not be tolerated.
“The campaign has proven that a multifaceted approach to such issues including deterrence, prosecution and crime prevention can produce dramatic results.
"This has been a huge partnership effort, with the increased communication between Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinators for example ensuring a better flow of information between the police and local residents
“Burglaries of outbuildings is still a crime that unfortunately does occur on occasion and is always an issue for rural communities, but is now no more prevalent than in any neighbouring area.
“By working together, we can tackle this sort of crime and ensure our communities remain safe from opportunist criminals.”
For more information on crime prevention, Neighbourhood Watch or Farmwatch, contact the Bury Rural South SNT on 01473 613500, or by email on stedsruralsouth.snt@suffolk.pnn.police.uk
Police are also reminding residents to report any suspicious activity, such as unusual vehicles to the SNT, as any information can be important to criminal investigations. Crime can also be reported anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
The team has focused on reducing the number of burglaries of items such as lawnmowers and power tools from sheds, garages and outhouses on farms and rural properties since late last year.
The latest crime statistics reveal a 37 per cent decrease in burglaries, with 46 fewer victims from the beginning of 2010 to the end of November compared with the same period last year. There has also been a 28 per cent reduction in overall crime, with 121 fewer victims.
This success is a result of the campaign launched by the SNT to identify and target offenders, as well as working with crime reduction officers to offer education and improve awareness of crime prevention issues.
Officers increased high-visibility patrols, which were also supplemented by response officers from Haverhill and the Babergh West SNT. Crime pattern analysis was undertaken to ensure that these patrols were targeted at key times.
Officers visited victims of such crime to offer advice and reduce the risk of repeat offences. A special seminar was also held on November 26 with a number of presentations for farmers on tackling rural crime. The response from farmers at the event was overwhelmingly positive, with many requesting follow-up visits.
Key schemes such as Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) and Farmwatch have also been used to full effect, with Farmwatch membership increasing considerably from 70 to 186 members.
Sgt Kevin Horton said: “This reduction in crime is excellent news for residents and business owners in the area.
"There was a very noticeable increase in these sorts of offences in late 2009 and early 2010, but due to the hard work of SNT officers, crime reduction officers and neighbouring police teams, a clear message has been sent to offenders that any crime will not be tolerated.
“The campaign has proven that a multifaceted approach to such issues including deterrence, prosecution and crime prevention can produce dramatic results.
"This has been a huge partnership effort, with the increased communication between Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinators for example ensuring a better flow of information between the police and local residents
“Burglaries of outbuildings is still a crime that unfortunately does occur on occasion and is always an issue for rural communities, but is now no more prevalent than in any neighbouring area.
“By working together, we can tackle this sort of crime and ensure our communities remain safe from opportunist criminals.”
For more information on crime prevention, Neighbourhood Watch or Farmwatch, contact the Bury Rural South SNT on 01473 613500, or by email on stedsruralsouth.snt@suffolk.pnn.police.uk
Police are also reminding residents to report any suspicious activity, such as unusual vehicles to the SNT, as any information can be important to criminal investigations. Crime can also be reported anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
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