Anti-burglary team records almost 900 arrests

The District Crime Team was set up in Bradford after a rise in burglaries

A police team set up to try and tackle burglaries has made just under 900 arrests in little over a year.

West Yorkshire Police's Bradford District Crime Team was formed in April 2023 to crack down on break-ins.

As well as the arrests, a force spokesperson said 79 people had so far been charged with more than 100 offences.

Det Ch Insp Mark Atkinson said "significant progress" had been made in tackling burglaries but there was more to do.

The force cited charges laid against three men in June for break-ins.

One man was charged with five burglary offences in relation to incidents at a halls of residence on Laisteridge Lane.

Another was charged with one burglary at a property on Chapel Street while a third was accused of four offences, relating to a series of offences in the BD2 postcode.

'Get justice'

Mr Atkinson said the force understood the "profound impact" burglary could have on people's lives.

"This dedicated team across Bradford utilises intelligence in addition to assistance from the community to build a clearer picture of the burglaries in the area and identify patterns and emerging trends," he said.

"This has been key in ensuring prolific offenders are charged and convicted."

The officer said he wanted to send a message to people who thought it "acceptable to break into people's homes and businesses".

"We are committed to listening to our communities and will do everything we can to get justice for the number of people who are victims of burglary."

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