Police use ‘old-school’ methods to crack crime
A PROLIFIC burglary spree – which at its height saw 20 homes on one estate targeted in just a week – has been brought to an end after police adopted ‘old-school’ methods.
Officers based in Middleton launched a crackdown after a spate in break-ins on the Langley estate.
They decided to mix up their normal shifts – with many working through the night for three months in a bid to stop the break-ins.
Members of GMP’s Middleton West policing team volunteered to switch to a 7pm to 7am night shift for three months, to make sure they were around when the majority of the break-ins were happening.
They also put a mix of uniformed patrols and plain-clothed officers on the street, some on foot and some on bikes, to ensure a greater presence on the estate.
Some officers even came in on their days off, such was their determination to snare the offenders.
A number of people were arrested during the operation - and now the number of burglaries taking place has all but stopped.
Police Community Support Officers were also involved in the operation with many volunteering to stay on throughout the night at the height of the problems.
Both commercial properties and private homes were affected over a number of months.
Just before arrests were made in January, 20 burglaries were reported in one week on Langley alone.
But since then, no more than three burglaries a week have been reported on the Middleton West patch, which also includes Rhodes and some parts of Alkrington.
Last month, there was even a week in which no burglaries were reported.
PC Stu Ockwell, based in Langley, said: “The minute these people were locked up, the burglaries stopped.
“We just flooded it with various different tactics and it paid off with good results. We changed our shifts to work nights, we had people on foot patrols and in plain clothes.
“We used every tactic possible and mustered up as many officers as we could.
“We all work as a team and it was a team effort. It’s going back to old school policing.”
Three men were arrested during the period. One man has been charged with two commercial burglaries. Two other men have arrested and charged with a variety of offences are due to PC Stu Ockwell