Operation Castle shapes future of burglary response

In a bid to continue improvements in responding to burglaries and enhancing community safety, Greater Manchester Police hosted a seminar as part of Operation Castle.

Operation Castle has been running since July 2021 and has seen a number of successes in the way GMP responds to burglaries.

In the last 12 months from December 2022 to November 2023, 1,000 residential burglary crimes were solved. This is 45 more than the preceding 12 months.

There have been 13,006 residential burglary crimes in the last 12 months, which is 4,194 less than the previous 12 months.

Despite less crime being recorded, GMP are solving even more - the solved proportion is now 7.6%, up from 5.5%. This figure was 3.3% two years ago.

The seminar, designed to foster collaboration and share critical insights, fed into shaping the strategy for GMP’s approach to combatting burglaries.

Assistant Chief Constable Chris Sykes and Deputy Mayor for Manchester Kate Green opened the seminar, which focused on the intricacies of addressing burglaries within the Greater Manchester area.

An input about digital investigation strategies provided information and techniques available within GMP which would enhance operational efficiency, with insights from the National Good Practice Guide on Burglary offering a benchmark for best practices.

Superintendent Chris Foster, force lead for burglary and ACC Sykes concluded the seminar by summarising key learnings and insights. Attendees from partner agencies and North West forces, including Lancashire, Cumbria and Merseyside ensured knowledge sharing and networking to improve coordination in the ongoing fight against burglaries.

Supt Foster said: “It was good to see a range of police and partners come together to focus on our good start to improving the lives of those in our community who have been victims of burglary.

“This second Operation Castle seminar provided a diverse range of perspectives and actionable strategies that will feed the development of Greater Manchester Police's response to burglaries.

“The seminar's collaborative atmosphere and engagement highlighted the commitment of all involved to ensuring the safety and security of our communities in the ongoing fight against burglaries.

“The next phase of Operation Castle will further concentrate on crime prevention, the use and collection of intelligence and the provision of sophisticated messaging and updates to victims of this intrusive, distressing crime.

“Thank you to all who helped organise and attended the seminar which we hope to continue in subsequent years.”