Police Perspective: No-one deserves to have treasured possessions stolen

​We know just how upsetting and devastating it can be when victims of burglary discover their homes have been raided by thieves.
By Chief Superintendent Ian Proffitt
Published 28th Mar 2024, 10:11 BST
Updated 28th Mar 2024, 10:16 BST
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No one deserves to have their most treasured and valued possessions plucked from their home or business and after recognising that Doncaster had one of the highest burglary rates in the country just over a year ago, we knew action was needed.

That is where Operation Castle came in - a dedicated and detective-led response to incidents of burglary in people's homes across the city.

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Employing a new coordinated approach, a team of detectives and officers sought to identify links and patterns between incidents to bring more offenders to justice.

Every home or business broken into is one too many in our eyes and I want the perpetrators of these crimes to know that we have eyes and ears watching them.Every home or business broken into is one too many in our eyes and I want the perpetrators of these crimes to know that we have eyes and ears watching them.
Every home or business broken into is one too many in our eyes and I want the perpetrators of these crimes to know that we have eyes and ears watching them.

In just over a year, we have already seen the incredibly impact this operation has had with dozens of burglars jailed for a combined total of over 60 years.

As a police district, Doncaster is now dealing with around 100 less burglaries a month and Operation Castle resulted in the city recording its lowest number of burglaries in the past five years, with a 21 per cent reduction in reports compared to the same period in 2022.

To see such a notable change in a short time is incredibly encouraging and is testament to the Operation Castle team and their commitment to this cause.

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They know the patterns and behaviours, they know who the prolific offenders are and they are using all their specialist knowledge and experience, which is growing by the day, to catch burglars and bring them before the courts. If burglars in Doncaster thought they were above the law, they'd better think again as the results of this operation speak for themselves. This momentum will continue into 2024 and beyond and I want thieves and burglars in Doncaster to know that we are onto them.

Chief Superintendent Ian Proffitt.Chief Superintendent Ian Proffitt.
Chief Superintendent Ian Proffitt.

Every home or business broken into is one too many in our eyes and I want the perpetrators of these crimes to know that we have eyes and ears watching them and the team will endeavour to bring all burglars in Doncaster to justice.

If you’ve been a victim of burglary or attempted burglary or are concerned about break-ins please get in touch on 101 or 999 in an emergency.

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