Burglary team drafted in to bolster investigations

A dedicated burglary crime squad have been assembled as we continue to tackle community priorities in Staffordshire.

Since February, a team of specialist officers have been working hard alongside neighbourhood teams in Stoke-on-Trent to investigate burglary dwellings in the City.

They have been recruited following a robust selection process – making sure they hold the relevant expertise in vital policing practices such as forensic examination, intelligence gathering and criminal investigations.

In the short space of time since they’ve been operational, more than 20 suspects have been arrested and six persons charged with burglary dwelling offences in Stoke-on-Trent.

The team is based in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and encompasses local officers, an investigating officer with other 30-years’ detective experience and a Detective Sergeant.

We assembled the team as part of our burglary commitment, called Operation Monazite, which also follows a 6% decrease in neighbourhood crime figures since we launched our new policing model in June (2022) – including burglary dwelling, personal robbery, vehicle theft and personal theft.

Chief Inspector Scott McGrath, of the Stoke North local policing team, said: “This is a significant step in the right direction and will give us greater capability to target thieves in Stoke-on-Trent and protect people’s hard-earned belongings.

“We know through experience and local crime surveys that residential burglary is a key concern for our communities - being a crime that is invasive, devastating and often affects some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

“Officers in the Stoke North LPT are committed to tackling these concerns and will continue to work closely with our colleagues in Stoke South, local partners and the new burglary squad to deal with the issues that matter most to our communities.”

To find out who your local officers are and for the latest crime figures and advice, visit our website: www.staffordshire.police.uk