Top cop reveals what police are doing to tackle Sheffield burglaries as he warns of a summer spike

This comes after Star readers told us it is one of the aspects of crime that concerns them the most. In response, we asked South Yorkshire Police (SYP) to detail the force’s strategy to break-ins, and to provide prevention advice, ahead of an anticipated spike in burglaries over the summer months.

Superintendent Benn Kemp said the force recognises the ‘significant impact’ burglaries have on Sheffield communities, adding that that SYP has a ‘real commitment to tackling burglary and other crime which specifically affects communities, which we term as neighbourhood crime’.

Detailing the force’s strategy, Supt Kemp continued: “Our focused activity is multifaceted. So, the first bit is around the prevention work – understanding crime data analysis to see where incidents of burglary are reoccurring; what type of premises are being targeted and then sharing that information with the public; looking at crime prevention works or officers going out on the beat and providing leaflets; engaging direct with the community taking part in pop-up police stations and other things to really make the community aware and explain to them how they can effectively safeguard their properties and things that have been targeted within that type of within that type of crime.”

“We then take a proactive approach in targeting offenders, so that's understanding elements of organised and opportunistic criminality around burglary, and targeting those and certainly any of those offenders with robust action,” he added.

“Within Sheffield we have a dedicated investigation team, staffed with detectives and officers who work specifically to investigate instances of burglary - that's the level of importance that we put on it. Wider than that, as a partnership we have a reducing crime and reoffending partnership group that involves membership from a range of internal and external partners to policing who come together and really look at and how we can address firstly some of the underlying factors driving burglary; and secondly how we can support prevention activity through either funding initiatives looking at improving lighting and security; funding things like improved door locks and things like that in certain communities where we do know that burglars target.”

Supt Kemp said the force does see spikes ‘around this time of year’ when people ‘start leaving windows open and things like that’.

“The key crime prevention messages that I'd have for your readers are really around ensuring that you've got good quality window and door locks,” he said.

“Ensuring that whenever you're not in the property, the windows are left locked and secured or on latches; that valuables are left out of view and that for any vehicle that you've got that's on the drive you use a secondary method of security so for example a steering wheel lock or something like that as an extra deterrent and ensuring that the things like neighbourhood watches set up in your area can be a real deterrent with appropriate signage and and a community that's looking out for each other.”

Supt Kent said the force often seens a spike around darker evenings, in the Autumn period.

“We certainly have operations that that look at really improving or increasing the amount of officers on the beat, walking down communities in plain clothes and in uniform around that time of the year,” he said, adding: “We ultimately need the public's help. If there's anything suspicious, report it through our online reporting [service] or 101.”

“If there's anything and or you know through a neighbourhood watch scheme and then that information and Intelligence will really help us to improve our response to this crime type,” he added.