Burglaries down in St Albans – let’s keep it that way!

Residential burglaries are down 15 per cent in the St Albans district compared to this time last year following targeted police patrols under Operation Guardian.

The dedicated burglary prevention initiative involves high-visibility and covert patrols, targeting known burglars and providing crime prevention advice to help deter burglars in the district.

On Tuesday night (10 December), a neighbourhood policing officer potentially disrupted a burglary at 5.50pm in Oakwood Road, Bricket Wood, where a burglary had previously taken place. Enquiries are ongoing to identify three men wearing balaclavas who were in a red Mini on cloned number plates.

St Albans district Chief Inspector Martin Turpin said: “My officers have been working hard to make sure burglars are made to feel unwelcome in the St Albans district.  We know who our main burglars are, and we keep close tabs on them. Officers have also been proactive in identifying anyone acting suspiciously - we suspect we may have prevented a burglary on Tuesday evening in Oakwood Road. Every reduction in burglary means one less burglary victim.

“However, I’d like to remind residents to continue to make sure they securely lock their properties when they go out, use timer switches and invest in CCTV and doorbell cameras.  These are a great deterrent to opportunist burglars. If you are going away over the festive period, ask a neighbour to park on your drive and use a timer switch to give the impression your home is not unoccupied. 

“By working together, we can reduce the number of burglary victims and make sure residents in the district enjoy Christmas for all the right reasons.”

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