Taskforce launched to combat high burglary rate after city named hot spot

It will tackle the most prolific burglars who are responsible for the majority of crimes.

Although the number of recorded domestic burglaries in the city has dropped by nearly 50 per cent over the past seven years, Leeds remains one of the country’s burglary hot spots.

Public spending watchdog, the Audit Commission, has raised concerns about the burglary rate, with 8,869 recorded in 2010-11.

The Safer Leeds Burglary Taskforce will be led by Acting Chief Supt, Paul Money.

The officer said: “By breaking up organised crime groups who are linked to the vast majority of burglaries in Leeds, and by supporting the work of local Neighbourhood Policing Teams, we aim to drive down the number of offences and make communities even safer.”

Coun Peter Gruen, Leeds City Council’s executive board member for neighbourhoods, housing and regeneration said: “We are investing more than £1.3m over the next two years to reduce the number of burglaries and take the issue very seriously.

Coun Gruen added: “Already there has been a 7 per cent reduction in burglaries in Leeds for 2010/11 compared to the previous year, but we know there is still more to do,” .

The Safer Leeds Burglary Taskforce will be responsible for:

Building evidence, information and intelligence on burglars linked to organised crime groups, to secure convictions.

Monitoring and disrupting all known burglars within the district to prevent them from offending.

Preventing ‘cross-border’ criminals travelling into the Leeds district from other areas of West Yorkshire or beyond to commit offences.

The taskforce will have representatives including police officers, council members, the crime-fighting partnership Safer Leeds, and the Crown Prosecution Service.

It is said to be the only one of its kind in the country, with all partners to be based together at Killingbeck station.