Dozens arrested as police crack down on burglaries in West Yorkshire

Operation Shrilldale, which ran throughout January across Bradford, was launched in an effort to drive down burglaries in the district. And West Yorkshire Police has today revealed that 33 people were arrested during the operation. Op Shrilldale also aimed to reduce the number of raids on garages, sheds and outbuildings and officers used overt and covert methods to target those suspected of being involved in burglary offences. The arrests have resulted in 14 charges and officers are continuing enquiries, the force said today. Chief Inspector Michael Rutter, who led the operation, said: “This time of year traditionally sees a rise in residential burglaries, so we wanted to create an operation to target this type of crime. “Some of those individuals we have targeted are likely to be involved in other areas of crime, and some may even have links to organised crime groups, so it is important that we use our resources to take action against these people. “Operations like Shrilldale not only allow us to focus on those individuals who are causing us the most harm, they also give us an opportunity to look at burglary from a district perspective and target the areas which are most affected. “We hope this activity will reassure the people of Bradford District that we do take burglary seriously and we will continue to run operations of this nature to make our communities safer.” The operation was ruin as part of the force's Darker Nights anti-burglary campaign. Coun Abdul Jabar, executive member for neighbourhoods and community safety at Bradford Council, said: “We welcome the police’s efforts to crack down on burglaries. It’s unacceptable that people have to experience this in society. "We echo any advice given by them for us all to try and minimise the risks by ensuring our homes are secure, valuables are kept out of sight and doors are locked, even when people are at home.”