Barnsley police make seven arrests and hail 64 per cent drop in burglaries in six-month crackdown

Residential burglaries have more than halved in one area of Barnsley following a crackdown, police say.

Over a six-month period, the number of homes burgled in Goldthorpe fell from 42 a month, in December 2022, to 15 in May - a 64 per cent drop.

In May alone, officers say they spent 176 hours on burglary patrol and arrested seven prolific offenders. They also conducted 60 home visits and 12 to known offenders.

Chf Insp John Mallows said: “In July 2022 Goldthorpe was identified as one of the force priority crime hotspots for burglary. Through the work of the Neighbourhood Policing Team, who are collaborating with a range of partners and stakeholders, we have seen a 64 per cent reduction in recorded burglary over the last six months. While there is still much work to do, the planned regeneration of the area will provide opportunities to further enhance community safety.”

The operation saw members of the Barnsley South East Neighbourhood Policing Team patrol affected areas at peak times, bolstered by plain-clothes work and visits to known previous offenders.

PCSPs visited all burgled properties placed notices on streets, provided door-to-door reassurance and delivered letters with information for residents on how to protect their properties and look out for each other.

The team also liaised with Barnsley Council to ensure empty properties were being monitored, and with landlords to make sure they were secure. And they checked local scrap merchants for items, and monitored ‘known pathways for distributing stolen goods’.

Sergeant Paul Aston, from the Barnsley South East NPT, said: “Burglary and theft are very personal and invasive crimes. We will always seek to prosecute wherever we can and it is important to us to make sure victims are made to feel like they matter and are not just another crime number or just another statistic.

“We are targeting known offenders using a variety of methods to prevent reoffending, prevent offences from being committed and reducing the avenues through which stolen property can be disposed. Working alongside partners such as Barnsley Council, we are closing the net around those who intentionally impact the lives of the communities we serve.”

Coun Wendy Cain, cabinet spokesperson for public health and communities, said: “We continue to join forces with our partners at South Yorkshire Police to make sure Goldthorpe and our boroughs remain a safe place.

“Our neighbourhood wardens have increased patrols and our dedicated housing and cohesion officer for the Dearne liaises regularly with landlords in this area. Police and Communities Together (PACT) meetings are also held regularly with partners from the Safer Neighbourhood Service and South Yorkshire Police to look at how we can work together to improve community safety.”

Call 101 to pass on information or go to: www.southyorks.police.uk/contact-us/report-something/