Merseyside burglary rates drop as police strategy yields results
Burglary reports in Merseyside are at their lowest since 2018 when the force established Operation Castle as part of a comprehensive strategy to tackle the crime.
Since Operation Castle began, the force has seen burglary rates fall by 56 per cent, and by 16 per cent in the past 12 months alone.
The Operation Castle team tackles series-linked burglaries and works alongside the teams of detectives that investigate crime across the five local authority areas in Merseyside.
Detective Chief Inspector Steve Ball, who oversees these burglary investigations in Merseyside, said: “We have long made combating burglary a key priority because we understand how deeply invasive this crime is. Having someone enter your home and violate your personal space can be incredibly distressing for victims.
“This is why officers are sent to all reports of residential burglaries and crime scene investigation (CSI) attendance is also requested. There are very few instances when an officer would not visit, for example, if the person reporting isn’t engaging with officers, which can make arranging a visit difficult, or they have specifically requested that an officer doesn’t attend. Nevertheless, we would still explore opportunities for CSI to recover forensic evidence.
“It’s this commitment to maximising every opportunity to gather evidence and identify offenders that has helped us arrest 612 suspects in connection with burglary offences in the past year. Many of these investigations are complex and involve cross-border collaboration with other police forces and agencies.”
The force said its strategy involves the “expertise of numerous teams” that work closely on operations in burglary hotspots, proactive targeting of known offenders, and engagement with community partners to share intelligence and prevention advice.
Most recently, the force’s relentless pursuit of burglars has led to the successful conviction of four offenders with sentences given at Liverpool Crown Court amounting to more than 20 years between them.
Det Chief Insp Ball added: “While we’re pleased with these results, we remain committed to driving burglary down further. Our message to would-be burglars is clear – our dedicated teams will use every tool at their disposal to ensure you are caught and put before the courts.
“Every burglary prevented means one less victim having to deal with the emotional and financial aftermath of this crime. We urge residents to take a few simple precautions and protect their homes from potential intruders.”