POLICE in Greater Manchester have reported a reduction in burglaries and arrested more people on suspicion of the crime.
GMP says there were 11,246 burglaries recorded last year – which is 33 per cent fewer than in 2021.
It comes as 2,305 people were arrested on suspicion of burglary in 2024, according to the force’s figures – an increase of 25 per cent compared to three years ago.
GMP has put the drop down to the introduction of a new operation in July 2021 to tackle burglaries, which uses a number of resources across the force.
They say Operation Castle was launched with the aim of improving the way they dealt with burglaries to reduce the number across the 10 boroughs – including Tameside and Oldham.
The force sees prevention as a significant factor, which is where Fiona James comes in as a Crime Prevention Coordinator and the burglary lead in her team in the Crime Prevention hub.
Her team monitors burglary hotspots and by looking at the theories behind why crime is committed they can identify what can be put in place to reduce the volume of offending in that area.
Fiona, who has worked in GMP for over 40 years in a variety of roles, said: “Once burglary has happened on a street, those who live close by are more likely to also become a victim as evidence shows burglars often target properties on the same street.
“It is so important for us to give out crime prevention advice to those people, because simple advice can be so effective at ensuring that households are not burgled, and our work undoubtedly helps make Greater Manchester just that little bit safer from burglars.”
Call handlers based in the Force Contact, Crime and Operations Branch of GMP are the first point of contact for a burglary victim and, once officers have attended, the force says Crime Scene Investigators are committed to attending every residential burglary to help gather evidence.
Neighbourhood crime officers and staff have also given crime prevention advice to residents and business owners to reduce repeat incidents.
The force’s new lead for Operation Castle says more thorough investigation and collaborative working is behind the decrease of the intrusive crime.
Detective Superintendent Alicia Smith explained: “Progress is being made, and it’s down to each and every officer and member of police staff who always strive to get the best possible outcome for victims by focussing on the basics, attending burglaries, making more arrests and bringing more offenders to justice and the result is we are reducing burglaries in the longer term.
“We recognise that burglary is one of the most impactful and intrusive crimes someone can be a victim of, it is an attack on you, your home and your place of safety.
“Not only we are investigating more thoroughly now under Operation Castle but there is a real emphasis on prevention measures such as community education and ensuring we have highly-visible and also plain-clothed regular patrols to keep people safe.
“We work closely with partner agencies to proactively solve burglaries, but we know there is still a lot of work that we need to do, and we know we cannot get complacent, we are looking for more innovative ways to combat this type of crime in Greater Manchester.”
Information about burglaries can be reported to GMP online at gmp.police.uk or by calling 101. Details can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.