Chief constable warns burglars in Hucknall, Bulwell and across Nottinghamshire 'we will catch you'

Despite national media coverage which claims some police forces fail to send officers to house burglaries, Chf Con Craig Guildford says this has not been the case in Nottinghamshire as house burglary has always been one of his priorities.

Burglary has fallen dramatically over the last three years and has coincided with the introduction of specialist teams of detectives who work every day to bring burglars to justice. Our detection rate in Nottinghamshire is well above the national average.

More than 30 detectives currently work in four burglary and robbery teams operating in Nottingham city and the wider county.

Significant funding from the Government’s Safer Streets Fund has also paid for burglary prevention officers providing hotspot areas such as the Arboretum with camera doorbells, new locks, and ensuring CCTV is installed.

This year alone, the force has banged up prolific burglars, opportunists, and cruel distraction burglars who have preyed on the elderly and vulnerable.

Mr Guildford said: “Behind every one of these burglaries is a person and a family who have been the victim of an extremely upsetting crime.

"This is why we take burglary so seriously.

“Burglary has no place in our city and county.

"No-one should have to come home and find their home raided and belongings stolen and that is why I have made sure there are two dedicated burglary teams in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire since 2018.

“We attend every house burglary and always will.

"Our detectives work many hours and into the night trawling through evidence to bring these offenders before the courts.

“Our teams also track where potential burglaries are likely to take place and have caught burglars before they even have a chance to break into a home.

"We have made a very significant investment in our Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) network across the force which greatly helps us prevent and detect travelling burglars.

“But rest assured, if you do have your house burgled, then my officers will be at your door, gathering evidence, supporting you, and doing everything they can to bring the person who broke into your home to justice.

"There’s nothing a Nottinghamshire cop likes more than catching a house burglar.”

Detective Chief Inspector Ruby Burrow, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Here in Nottinghamshire we work hard with our partners to prevent house burglaries taking place.

“However, when they do occur, we attend each and every offence, and the subsequent investigation is allocated to one of dedicated burglary detectives.

“This year we have dedicated 8.6 per cent of burglary dwelling offences, which is higher than the national average.

“By working with local communities and partners, we have achieved sustained reductions in the number of burglary offences across the county.

“Burglaries fell by more than a third in Nottinghamshire (down by 36.9 per cent with 2,827 fewer offences) during the year to March 31, compared to pre-pandemic levels.”