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Over 40 arrested in Leeds burglar crackdown
MORE than 40 people have been arrested in the first fortnight of a round-the-clock police offensive against burglars in a part of Leeds.
A squad of officers has been designated on every police shift across the North East Leeds division to target house and other burglars as part of 'Operation Affinity.'
A total of 44 people have been detained for suspected burglary offences and more are expected to be arrested as the campaign continues in the weeks up to Christmas and after.
The police crackdown means that officers specifically trained to investigate burglaries are on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Burglary levels traditionally rise before, during and following the festive season – and the new 'taskforce' aims to ensures that burglaries are managed as critical incidents and investigated using the additional resources and specialist expertise.
Apart from detecting burglaries, officers are aiming to reduce the number of such offences by putting pressure on known offenders with home visits and covert surveillance as well as by utilising stop and search powers.
One of the deterrent elements of the campaign is to photograph the clothing and footprints of suspect burglars seen out and about for possible later comparison by officers investigating burglaries.
Neighbourhood policing teams are also increasing the number of high visibility patrols and are offering advice to local residents over practical steps that can be taken to protect their homes and property.
Supt Simon Atkin said: "The first two weeks of Operation Affinity has seen the dedicated burglary team take a large number of suspects off the streets and demonstrated our commitment to actively targeting those who believe they can commit crime in our area.
"Tackling burglary is a year-round priority, but at this time of year we often do see a rise in these type of offences which we are determined to address and counter.
"While we are taking these people off the streets, I would like to remind householders that simple precautions including leaving a light on and ensuring doors and windows are locked can help to cut incidents of burglary significantly."
Statistics show that county-wide, up to a quarter of all burglaries are opportunist and of the sneak-in variety which can be prevented.
Supt Atkin added: "Many of these burglars will even attempt to target their own neighbourhood and I would encourage anyone with suspicions to contact the police on 0845 6060606 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."
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Weather for Leeds
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
