Burglary rate plummets amid GMP crackdown and arrests

Burglary is down more than 33 per cent in Greater Manchester which means that there are 456 fewer victims a month as the commitment to tackling and preventing burglary continues.

In July 2021, Operation Castle was launched in a bid to improve the way GMP dealt with burglaries with the main goal to ultimately reduce the number of burglaries across the force.

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As a result, the force recorded 11,246 burglaries last year, which amounts to 33 per cent fewer than three years ago.

(Image: Emma Nockton) A total of 2,305 people were arrested on suspicion of burglary in 2024, which is a 25 per cent increase compared with 2021.

Fiona James has worked in GMP for more than 40 years her team monitor burglary hotspots and by looking at the theories behind why crime is committed they can identify what can be put in place to reduce the volume of offending in that area.

Fiona said: “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.

“It is so important for us to give out crime prevention advice to those people, because simple advice can be so effective at ensuring that household is not burgled, and our work undoubtedly helps make Greater Manchester just that little bit safer from burglars.”

(Image: Emma Nockton) Fiona on the rightCall handlers based in the force contact, crime and operations branch are the first point of contact a victim will have with GMP, their role is imperative in keeping people calm and safe while finding out a location to send police officers, and this is no different for a burglary.

Ella, a call handler from GMP's 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.”

Once response officers have attended a burglary, crime scene investigators are also committed to attending every residential burglary to help gather evidence.

Their role is important to ensure that investigating officers have the best possible evidence left behind by an offender to progress the case.

Crime scene investigator Hayley Craig said: “We attend burglaries to collect evidence, and recently, I went to a burglary and when I walked in the whole house had been completely ransacked and a large amount of jewellery was taken.

"From searching the home, I saw some glove marks on the top-floor window and took samples from it.

"I later found out that it came back as a DNA hit and finding this out was a brilliant feeling – it is why we do the job.”

(Image: GMP) 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.

“Our work involves making arrests either through proactive hotspot patrolling in areas where we are seeing a high number of burglaries, or by conducting early morning warrants on prolific offenders and then building a strong case file to ensure these people who are blighting our communities are taken off our streets.”

Detective Superintendent Alicia Smith who is the new 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.

“We recognise that burglary is one of the most impactful and intrusive crimes someone can be a victim of, it is an attack on you, your home and your place of safety.

“Not only are we investigating more thoroughly now under Operation Castle but there is a real emphasis on prevention measures such as community education and ensuring that we have highly-visible and also plain clothed regular patrols continue to keep people safe."