2nd February, 2024
The Met Police say they have arrested more than 100 suspected burglars in London in the last 60 days.
Met officers said they were responding to community concerns around burglary, using covert tactics to make more than 100 arrests.
According to police report, officers worked alongside specialist teams, local officers using tactics including deploying in plainclothes and unmarked cars to surprise unsuspecting criminals as they attempt to break into homes and businesses.
“Using precision technology and tactics, including phone tracking and surveillance, officers are monitoring repeat offenders and spotting patterns in their offending.
“Having seen success in Bromley, the Met is rolling out the operation elsewhere in London.
“The drive to tackle burglary comes as part of the Commissioner’s mission to reform the Met and deliver against priorities that Londoners have told officers matter to them most,” the police said.
Sergeant John Johnson, leading the local burglary team, said his team had listened to the concerns of community and made it a priority to address the issue of burglary head on.
Johnson said everyone in London has the right to feel safe, especially in their own homes, saying he was pleased that Police’s use of innovative tactics has had such a positive impact in delivering for people across the city.
The police explained that during this proactive action, the team tracked down John Delaney, 51, of no fixed address, after he burgled ten pubs and shops in Islington.
The police said he had now been sentenced to two years and three months in jail, demonstrating the Met’s commitment to taking offenders off the streets.
“Officers worked for weeks to identify Delaney through DNA evidence and CCTV in the local areas of Crouch End and Archway. They also pieced together timelines to establish his whereabouts.
“Through street searches and mapping out his recent sightings, officers pieced together that he was due to pick up medication from a local pharmacy in north London.
“Unmarked cars and plainclothes officers were deployed around the pharmacy, lying in wait for Delaney who was swiftly brought into custody,” the Met police said.
Burglary lead for the Met, Detective Superintendent Amanda Mawhinney, added that the Met has a renewed focus on tackling burglary as they work to rebuild trust and drive down crime in the communities.
“Our officers and staff are committed to providing support and advice to victims, as well as continuously reviewing crime reports to spot patterns of offending and sending officers to hotspot areas,” she said.