Welcome to November’s newsletter.

Burglars across South London are being targeted as we launch a burglary initiative to
coincide with the shortening days, in conjunction with a campaign to remind residents
that there are simple measures that they can take to reduce the risk of being a target
for burglars.

Operation Bumblebee will see the boroughs of Bromley, Bexley, Greenwich, Lewisham, Lambeth, Croydon and Southwark target burglars through a new ‘South Area Bumblebee Team’, targeting our combined resources to detecting where burglars may strike and arresting suspects in efforts to tackle the traditional rise of these offences at this time of the year.

Whilst overall, burglary across the MPS is down by 7.4% - and down by over 10%
across Bromley - as the clocks go back there is a seasonal trend for it to increase over
the period from September to December. Figures show that homes become more
vulnerable to burglars at this time of year as the evenings get darker with burglars on
the prowl for valuables and cash. During this period residential properties remain in
darkness for much longer periods which makes them easier for burglars to target,
especially if there are no obvious signs that there is anyone home.

Whilst we are determined to raise people's awareness of security and help stop burglary from happening in the first place, we are also introducing a tough new approach to improving performance in investigating and
tackling burglary through the creation of the new 'South Area Bumblebee Team'. This team will be made up of experienced and specialised officers and will be able to work across borough boundaries, co-ordinate search activity for outstanding suspects, manage an improved forensic strategy and work in partnership with the MPS’s Territorial Support Group and the London Crime Squad to bring offenders to justice.

We will also be exploring other tactics such as predictive policing, which enables us to identify where certain
crimes are more likely to be repeated. It uses a specially designed computer algorithm to produce crime maps, which can then direct police officers to the areas where they are more likely to be successful in preventing and detecting burglary.

More details on this, our latest Operation Big Wing and details of some of our latest convictions can be found at the following link :-Borough Commander's Newsletter
Steph Roberts
Borough Commander