Pandemic kept city’s burglars locked down
RESTRICTIONS MAY HAVE HELPED BURGLARY RATES TO DROP BY NEARLY 29%
BURGLARIES in Nottingham’s inner-city suburbs have dropped by more than a quarter.
And a senior police officer says that the lockdown may have helped.
Nottinghamshire Police figures show an overall 28.6 percent reduction in residential burglaries in the last 12 months.
Chief Inspector Amy English said there had been impressive results in particular parts of the city.
“The biggest reduction would be City West – the City West area had a reduction of 44.7 percent in the last 12 months,” she said.
“That includes Aspley, Basford, Bilborough, Leen Valley and Wollaton West.
“Aspley has had 52.4 percent, which is a huge reduction.”
She explained that houses in multiple occupation (HMOS), where students tend to live, were typically targeted in inner-city areas.
“We have a number of residential areas that are highly populated with students.
“If you have one burglary in one student premises where that burglar has targeted all of those rooms, you could have a burglary that had 10 victims if there’s 10 students living in one [house].”
But she explained most burglaries were caused by what she described as “insecurities” – and that these were the easiest to prevent.
One example, she said, was when residents go out and leave a window open on a warm summer evening.
“They [a burglar] might see an open window, see an open door. They will take that opportunity to commit that crime,” she said.
“What we have found is that residential [area] CCTV can make a big difference. We have seen success from doorbell cameras – the footage is very clear and very quick to obtain.”
But the pandemic presented challenges for opportunist crooks.
“[During the] national lockdowns and local lockdowns more people have been at home,” Chief Inspector English said.
“It’s been more difficult to be out and about without being noticed.
“When we have been in the period of ‘stay at home’ burglars have not had the opportunity to commit these crimes that they would do because an opportunity has presented itself.”
Impressive results were also achieved in the reduction of burglaries from September 2018 to September 2019.
Chief Inspector English called on people to be vigilant and secure their homes with sufficient lighting and alarms. “Is your property obscured by high hedging that somebody could hide behind?
“Do you have your bins next to your fence that a burglar could hop over quiet easily?” And now with the night-time economy picking up, and students returning to the city, she added: “Communicate with housemates, let each know where you are going, when you are going out and make sure the last out locks the doors and windows. And just stick together.”
The force’s two burglary teams work closely with colleagues from Operation Reacher to “quickly pick up on patterns in order to prevent burglaries happening”. She added: “Across the force we have a number of options in place to prevent and respond to burglaries and burglary hotspots. “We have been working with the Police and Crime Commissioner along with our partners in the council across Nottinghamshire. We applied for funding from the Home Office to prevent burglary and acquisitive crime. “We have successfully secured funding for Newark, Mansfield, The Arboretum and Lenton Triangle areas.”
During the lockdowns, it’s been more difficult to be out and about without being noticed
Chief Inspector Amy English