Police launch artifice crackdown
By Martin Chapman on Monday, 16th July 2001.
Suffolk Police have launched Operation Home Guard after a significant increase in the artifice burglaries.
The operation sees a small number of Officers with responsibility for investigating artifice burglaries across the county in a bid to reduce them drastically.
Artifice burglars con their way into peoples homes - often by pretending to be employees from gas, electricity or water companies - with the aim of stealing money and/or valuable items.
This year, over 100 artifice burglaries have been recorded in Suffolk so far.
Det Chief Insp Tim Beach, who heads up the Operation Home Guard team, said: “The rise in this type of crime is causing a great deal of misery across the county and we are determined to catch those responsible. We have given officers in each of the force's three areas a specific duty to target this type of crime.
Suffolk Police have also introduced a stop-check system in which officers stop vehicles on a route leading away from the scene of an artifice burglary in an attempt to identify the offenders.
Sadly, in Suffolk the elderly are the target in the vast majority of cases. The people who commit these crimes are cowards who prey on the vulnerable, said Det Chief Insp Beach.
“They also do their homework carefully and survey streets with care before selecting the address of an elderly victim.”
So far this year, there have been 115 artifice burglaries recorded in the county. Between January 1 and June 30 last year, there were 35 artifice burglaries; during the same period the year before, there were 57. This years figure is higher than the total number of artifice burglaries in the county last year (82) and in 1999 (99).
Det Chief Insp Beach said: “We are determined to catch these criminals and people can play their part by taking steps to ensure they do not become victims of this crime and remaining vigilant.”
Suffolk Police are also again appealing for any information on an artifice burglary on February 1. A male claiming to be from the water board entered a property in Rushemere Place, Haverhill at around 3.20 pm, searched the house whilst the householder was holding a bowl beneath a running tap in the kitchen, and stole a quantity of money.
Anyone with information on artifice burglaries should contact Suffolk Police on (01473) 613500.
Police wanted to emphasis the message that people should never let anyone in unless they are absolutely sure they are genuine.
The operation sees a small number of Officers with responsibility for investigating artifice burglaries across the county in a bid to reduce them drastically.
Artifice burglars con their way into peoples homes - often by pretending to be employees from gas, electricity or water companies - with the aim of stealing money and/or valuable items.
This year, over 100 artifice burglaries have been recorded in Suffolk so far.
Det Chief Insp Tim Beach, who heads up the Operation Home Guard team, said: “The rise in this type of crime is causing a great deal of misery across the county and we are determined to catch those responsible. We have given officers in each of the force's three areas a specific duty to target this type of crime.
Suffolk Police have also introduced a stop-check system in which officers stop vehicles on a route leading away from the scene of an artifice burglary in an attempt to identify the offenders.
Sadly, in Suffolk the elderly are the target in the vast majority of cases. The people who commit these crimes are cowards who prey on the vulnerable, said Det Chief Insp Beach.
“They also do their homework carefully and survey streets with care before selecting the address of an elderly victim.”
So far this year, there have been 115 artifice burglaries recorded in the county. Between January 1 and June 30 last year, there were 35 artifice burglaries; during the same period the year before, there were 57. This years figure is higher than the total number of artifice burglaries in the county last year (82) and in 1999 (99).
Det Chief Insp Beach said: “We are determined to catch these criminals and people can play their part by taking steps to ensure they do not become victims of this crime and remaining vigilant.”
Suffolk Police are also again appealing for any information on an artifice burglary on February 1. A male claiming to be from the water board entered a property in Rushemere Place, Haverhill at around 3.20 pm, searched the house whilst the householder was holding a bowl beneath a running tap in the kitchen, and stole a quantity of money.
Anyone with information on artifice burglaries should contact Suffolk Police on (01473) 613500.
Police wanted to emphasis the message that people should never let anyone in unless they are absolutely sure they are genuine.
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