Hucknall homes are much safer and less likely to be burgled this year than they were last year as police continue to crack down on the culprits. Residents across the town should feel reassured that police figures show that the number of reported burglaries has dropped by 42 per cent when compared to the same week last year. Police say their success is down to a combination of tactics but the most significant is their working partnership with the community.
“We are part of the community and the community is a part of policing,” said Sgt Simon Scales of Hucknall police. “Our residents are more on-board with us more than ever before as we are experiencing greater cohesion between the public and the police and for this we want to say a huge thank you.”
Hucknall’s figures represent the most significant drop in burglaries across the whole county policing district.
“Burglary in the town is continuing to drop and the downward trend is being maintained,” added the town’s sergeant. “We have seen record breaking falls in the number of burglary offences in the past year and Hucknall is leading the way in its approach.”
This is good news for the town and its residents and reflects the commitment by the town’s police to tackle the issue head-on.
A number of tactics have been employed to reduce the crime levels across the district, not only through special operations but by maintaining a focus on the issue.
“Hucknall is like an island because of the roads in and out of the town which has made it vulnerable in the past as the majority of criminals are coming here from the city or other areas,” explained Sgt Scales. “But by closing our borders using technology, through the ALPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras sited on the bypass, using the Fatal Four weekly operations as well as using public intelligence and targeting the criminal element, we are proactively protecting the town and its people.”
Other methods adopted by the teams include managing offenders better once they are released from prison to prevent them from re-offending, which is also reaping rewards.
“It’s about staying focused and getting the community to be more aware and report suspicious activity so we can prevent crime too.”
Ashfield District Council’s Lachlan Morrison, Labour councillor for Hucknall Central, said it was good news for the town and agreed it was thanks to partnership working.
“It’s fantastic that the police have brought these results despite suffering significant cuts to the force budget,” said Coun Morrison. “I believe the success needs to be attributed to the efforts of the police and Safer Neighbourhood Teams and the campaigns that raise awareness in our community. “Unfortunately there will always be some people who offend and it’s difficult to change their ways but the news is positive overall.”
Source: Chad
