Police use latest technology in battle to reduce raids on homes

Leeds was criticised by the Audit Commission for its high burglary levels in 2009-10 and, despite improvements at an inspection in 2010-11, a number of concerns and recommendations were made.

Now a pilot scheme is under way in the city using tactics which have already helped Greater Manchester Police to cut burglary by more than a quarter in one of its hot spot areas.

It helps officers to predict where crimes will occur and target the areas before thieves can strike.

Project Optimal is based on research which shows that homes that have been recently burgled and those nearby are more likely to be targeted.

The project, being piloted by West Yorkshire Police in North West Leeds Division, involves a team of intelligence analysts using sophisticated computer-based methodology to study burglary data to pinpoint the specific areas that are at greatest risk in the near future.

Their work also highlights the likely times that burglars could strike and the methods they are most likely to use.

This allows patrols to be targeted into those areas at key times to carry out checks to deter criminals or catch them in the act.

The analysis produced also helps to target crime prevention measures to make it harder for burglars to strike.

Chief Supt Dave Oldroyd, divisional commander for North West Leeds and the lead officer for the district on burglary, said: “For some years now we have looked at where our burglaries occur to identify hot spot areas, but this new project allows us to more reliably pinpoint specific areas and times where the risk is greatest so we can target our resources more effectively and efficiently.

“The use of predictive policing tactics to tackle burglary in other parts of the country has had some very positive results, and we hope it will have a significant impact here and help us to make sure fewer people are victims of burglary.”

The initiative, which is backed by the city’s community safety partnership, Safer Leeds, is already showing some early signs of success. For example, there has been a 65 per cent reduction in burglary in the Headingley area, which saw 20 less burglaries over the first five weeks of the project compared with the same period last year.

Project Optimal complements a number of ongoing initiatives to tackle burglary across the Leeds district, which include specialist teams targeting known offenders and disruption of the trade in stolen goods.

This increased focus has seen the number of burglaries across the district reduced to 7,662 offences over the last year, which is 1,207 fewer than the previous year and the lowest figure the city has seen since 2005/06.

Earlier this year a report considered by members of Leeds City Council’s executive said: “Leeds recorded its highest ever burglary figure of 16,937 in 2002/3.

“Significant reductions were subsequently achieved to the low of 7,670 burglaries in 2005/6.

“This period of reduction then reversed over the following four years until 2010/11.”

City councillors were told that the taskforce was beginning to get results – but there was still a way to go to tackle the problem. A number of steps have already been taken to achieve better results including targeting prolific offenders, disrupting the stolen goods market and providing crime prevention advice to vulnerable groups in the city such as students.

The Leeds pilot scheme is based on work done by Greater Manchester Police with the University College London’s department of security and crime science which helped to cut burglaries in the Trafford area by 27 per cent in 2010/11.

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