Sheffield police 'need to continue significant work’ to tackle burglaries after post-pandemic rise
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They issued a statement after Insurance experts rated Sheffield and Doncaster as being among the UK’s burglary hotspots, although both cities are seeing the number of break-ins falling.
The website Confused.com placed Sheffield 333rd in a table of 353 regions of the UK, stating that it saw 5.35 burglaries per 1,000 people in 2021. It compared with 5.19 per 1,000 people in 2020; 7.35 in 2019; 7.61 in 2018; and 7.7 in 2017.
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Doncaster fared worse than Sheffield – it was ranked 351st with 6.96 break-ins per 1,000 people, a fall from 8.77 in 2017, which was a reduction of around 20 per cent.
A South Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “We are aware of how traumatic it is to be a victim of burglary, especially in your own home. People in South Yorkshire should feel safe and secure in their homes and this type of offending is particularly invasive and distressing.
“As a force we recognise the need to continue the significant work underway to tackle the rise in burglaries we have seen since the coronavirus pandemic eased, and to ensure this remains a top priority.
“Prevention activity undertaken by our neighbourhood policing teams (NPTs) is the backbone for our long-term delivery of crime reduction. Our force analysts identify areas and NPT officers then apply an evidence-based policing approach to develop local problem-solving plans which are specially tailored to these communities. The force reviews this crime type in detail on a monthly basis, ensuring that responses and investigations are progressed. This review identifies hotspots where targeted activity will take place.
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Hide Ad“We have developed a checklist for all frontline officers attending scenes of burglary, and our communication staff will always offer advice and support for those who become victims of crime, allowing us to gain that initial valuable evidence to identify those committing these offences.
“Furthermore, we utilise technology and information from the public to direct our resources to problem areas throughout South Yorkshire in an effort to prevent offences within the communities we are here to serve.
“We value any information that the public has that can assist in identifying those who commit these crimes.”