Burglars have nowhere to hide in Greater Manchester, as burglary reduces by 33% since the creation of Operation Castle
Burglary in Greater Manchester has decreased by 33% since the launch of Operation Castle in July 2021, resulting in 456 fewer victims per month. The operation has led to 2,305 arrests in 2024, a 25% increase compared to 2021. The initiative involves multiple teams, including crime prevention coordinators, call handlers, crime scene investigators, and neighbourhood crime teams, working together to reduce burglary through prevention, investigation, and community engagement.
Burglary Falls by a Third in Greater Manchester as Police Arrest 2,305 Suspects in 2024
Greater Manchester has recorded 456 fewer burglary victims each month, marking a 33% drop since Operation Castle launched in July 2021, police revealed today.
The force recorded 11,246 burglaries in 2024 - down from 16,869 three years ago - and has arrested 2,305 people on suspicion of burglary this year, a 25% rise compared with 2021.
Detective Superintendent Alicia Smith, force lead for Operation Castle, said: “Progress is being made, and it is down to each and every officer and member of police staff who always strive to get the best possible outcome for the victim by focussing on the basics, attending burglaries, making more arrests and bringing more offenders to justice and the result of this is that we are reducing burglaries in the longer term.”
Crime Prevention Coordinator Fiona James, who has served 40 years with Greater Manchester Police, monitors burglary hotspots and deploys prevention teams to streets immediately after an offence is reported.
“Once burglary has happened on a street, those who live close by are more likely to also become a victim as evidence shows burglars often target properties on the same street,” James said. “Simple advice can be so effective at ensuring that household is not burgled.”
Call handler Ella, from the Force Contact, Crime and Operations Branch, said: “Hearing the sound of sirens is what I listen out for every time, it means that our job is done, we have ensured that the victim was as reassured as they could be in that moment and officers are now at their home to keep them safe.”
Crime Scene Investigator Hayley Craig recently secured a DNA hit from glove marks found on a top-floor window at a ransacked house where a large amount of jewellery was taken. “Finding this out was a brilliant feeling - it is why we do the job,” she said.
Detective Inspector Natalie McDonald, who leads a neighbourhood crime team in Longsight, said: “When we come into work and see that there has been a burglary overnight, we work tirelessly to identify and build a case to ensure the offender cannot go out that night and commit any more burglaries against innocent members of the public.”
Information about burglaries can be reported online via the GMP website, by calling 101, or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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