Police get tough with burglars

POLICE arrested 15 suspected Redbridge burglars in the Metropolitan Police's biggest ever anti-burglary swoop.

The series of dawn raids including the arrest of a Woodford Green man were held between Friday and Monday across the capital, in 13 boroughs identified as having a burglary problem.

Ilford officers, supported by the Met's territorial support group, arrested 15 people on suspicion of criminal activity, including the man from the Navestock Crescent area, in connection with a robbery.

Speaking about the successful crackdown, Redbridge Police Superintendent Bryan Horsley said on Monday: "It's been a great success over the past four days.

"It's about sending a message out. We've been concentrating on street crime over the past couple of years, not just locally but nationally, and now we are turning our attentions to burglary.

"Having somebody break into your home is a traumatic experience and we're trying not to lose sight of that. We are aiming to turn away the fear of crime from the victim."

He said that Redbridge was flagged up as a Safer Homes borough because there was a marked increase in burglaries in the area from April to October, compared with the same period last year.

However, he stressed: "We are the 22nd highest in the Met out of 32, so we're not at the top of the league.

"We saw a noticeable increase in burglary post September 11 when police resources were directed elsewhere.

"Now that we've been identified as a Safer Homes borough we've put together a number of operations, starting with the one on Friday."

The aim of the swoop was to apprehend some of the most prominent burglars in Redbridge, either known to police or offenders wanted in connection with other offences.

As well as the house raids, police last week used sniffer dogs on the streets of Redbridge to carry out spot-checks of pedestrians for drugs, as a run-up to the Met Police's sister initiative, the Safer Streets campaign.

Mr Horsley said: "We've also been covering road, rail and public transport links into Redbridge, working alongside organisations such as the British Transport Police.

"A lot of burglars travel into the borough which is why we are making sure the roads and public transport routes are covered to deter them from coming here."

The Safer Streets campaign, being launched in the run-up to Christmas, is advising residents on how to keep themselves safe on the streets, avoiding becoming victims of robbery or attack.

A series of posters and messages, giving safety advice, will go up in key areas of the borough, such as the Ilford Exchange, railway stations and pubs and clubs in the coming weeks.

17:14 Friday 1st November 2002

Printer Friendly Format

Send This Page To A Friend

• Are you a born comedian?
• Have you memories of Oakdale infants?
• Ban for director