Rise in burglaries prompts police awareness operation

The move follows a series of arrests for break-ins in the borough this month.

A man was arrested in Boxmoor on Monday, November 10 and later charged in connection with three burglaries which occurred in St Johns Road the same day.

Jordan Blythe, aged 18 and of Redbourne Road, appeared at Hatfield Remand Court on November 12 and was released on bail with conditions.

A 44-year-old man was arrested on Thursday, November 13 on suspicion of burglary after an attempt was made to break into a garage in Rutland Gardens that evening.

He has been released on police bail pending further investigations.

To prevent further crimes – which tend to rise in the autumn months partly due to darker afternoons – the Dacorum Safer Neighbourhood Teams have been w been visiting areas which have previously experienced higher levels of burglary and offer advice and information about home security.

The initiative is part of Operation Guardian – a Herts-wide anti-burglary drive.

The team has also been at train stations across Dacorum to give crime prevention advice and leaflets to commuters, whose houses are more likely to be empty all day.

Yesterday, the Berkhamsted and Tring Safer Neighbourhood team attended both mainline train stations and gave out hundreds of leaflets advising people to keep a light on a timer switch to come on in the afternoon when it gets dark to give the impression someone is at home.

The same guidance has been with shoppers at the main supermarkets in the borough, in the Marlowes shopping centre and at the Apsley Mills retail park in Hemel Hempstead.

Officers will also be conducting both high visibility and covert patrols and will be targeting anyone suspected of committing burglary.

Chief Inspector for Dacorum, Glen Channer said: “We know that criminals prefer to target empty homes, which is why it important that residents take steps to make it look like their home is occupied by using a timer switch so that a light comes on when it starts getting dark.

“These awareness raising events are crucial to arming people with advice to help prevent burglary, and compliment the work my teams do on a daily basis to arrest and convict those we suspect of committing burglary.”

Call police on the non-emergency number 101 with information about crimes, and always call 999 in an emergency.