Major Burglary Crackdown Launched Across NI

A major operation has been launched by the PSNI in an effort to reduce the number of burglaries in Northern Ireland.

The operation will run for four weeks, cover the entirety of Northern Ireland, and involve officers from Districts and detectives from Reactive and Organised Crime Branch working alongside colleagues in Tactical Support Groups and Roads Policing.

Provisional figures indicate there have been 7,266 burglaries, at both domestic and business premises, in the period between 1 April 2015 and 25 January 2016. This is an increase of 2.1% on the same period the previous year when 7,119 burglaries were recorded.

The number of domestic burglaries for the period 1 April 2015 – 25 January 2016 is provisionally recorded as 4,822 which is a 3.7% increase on the same period the previous year when 4,648 domestic burglaries were reported.

Superintendent Simon Walls, PSNI lead for burglary, said: "Burglaries are a violation of the things people hold most dear – the possessions they've worked hard to buy and to enjoy as well as the items of sentimental value they cherish.

"Over the coming weeks, police intend to have a higher profile in communities, making sure any burglary hotspots are receiving increased attention.

"As part of the overall operational plan, we will also be mounting checkpoints on roads to clamp down on travelling criminals. There will also be liaison with our colleagues in An Garda Siochana.

"The main motive for most burglaries, whether of domestic or commercial premises, is taking goods which can be turned into cash.

"We will be paying attention to locations where goods may be exchanged for cash and we will be deploying sniffer dogs to search buildings and vehicles which we suspect may be used to store or transport the proceeds of crime."

(MH/JP)