Three arrested after warrants executed

Police officers executed three warrants across North Edinburgh during searches for stolen property yesterday.

Three males, aged 15, 18 and 19-year-old were arrested in connection with house-breakings which took place over the past week in Kirkliston, Pathhead, Penicuik and Musselburgh.

Property including jewellery and electrical goods was recovered at addresses in Clermiston Park, Colonsay View and Granton Mill March.

These latest arrests are a result of the renewed commitment by officers under Operation Soteria and the Stronger North 2017 initiative to gather intelligence and tackle housebreaking, vehicle theft and related disorder in the North West of Edinburgh.

Chief Inspector Jimmy Jones, North West Area Commander said: “Our communities have told us that anti-social behaviour and youth disorder is a priority and we have renewed our commitment to tackling it in North West Edinburgh.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the public for their assistance so far. Support from our communities is vital in tackling such offences and I can assure them we will act on the information we receive.

“Anyone with concerns can speak to a local officer, contact Police Scotland on 101 or report information anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Three years for local housebreaker

Two Edinburgh men have been jailed after pleading guilty to housebreaking and vehicle theft at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday. Continue reading Three years for local housebreaker

Pair face court for Wardieburn housebreakings

Two local men are among the latest arrests made by Edinburgh Police during Operation RAC enforcement activity.

On Wednesday 22 April a flat in Royston Mains Crescent was broken into and a computer games consol, computer games, jewellery and handbags were stolen.

This was followed by a housebreaking in Wardieburn Road on Thursday 30 April, where various electrical items were stolen along with jewellery and a three-figure sum of cash.

Community Investigation Unit officers conducted enquiries into both incidents and executed a search warrant at a home in Wardieburn Terrace where various pieces of property from the break-ins were recovered.

Two men aged 25 and 21 were subsequently charged and are due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

Superintendent Phil O’Kane said: “In addition to the continued investigation of housebreakings across the city, which has resulted in more arrests, officers regularly conduct proactive patrols to detect and deter criminal activity.

“Housebreaking has been identified as a local policing priority and we are using a range of tactics to target the criminals committing these offences, who clearly show no respect for the property of others.

“Local communities can be reassured we are prioritising all of the specialist resources available to us to arrest the offenders and prevent further crimes occurring.

“The public can help us in our crime prevention efforts by always ensuring their homes, businesses and outbuildings are appropriately secured and to utilise additional security measures such as alarms and lighting were possible.

“Further advice on safeguarding your properties is available by speaking with your local policing team or by visiting our website at www.scotland.police.uk.”

Sixteen charged following housebreaking initiative

Sixteen males – some as young as 13 – have been charged with housebreaking offences following another week of Operation RAC enforcement activity in Edinburgh.

Officers investigating various break-ins, thefts and attempted break-ins across the city identified the individuals – aged between 13-36 – over the past seven days and reported them for over 200 ‘acquisitive’ crimes.

As a result of this activity housebreaking detection in Edinburgh has risen to 61 per cent between 11 and 18 February, with the average detection rate for the city now at over 51 per cent since the beginning of 2014.

Each of those arrested has either appeared in court during this week or is currently subject of a report to the Procurator Fiscal.

Detective Inspector John Kavanagh said: “This has been another excellent week of housebreaking detections across Edinburgh, with 16 people now subject to legal proceedings as part of Operation RAC.

“The public can rest assured that we will continue to purse all lines of enquiry to bring acquisitive crime offenders to justice and would urge anyone who witnesses a housebreaking, or with information relating to those involved in crimes of this nature to contact police immediately.

“Police Scotland is also committed to crime prevention and is currently involved in a partnership scheme with SmartWater that aims to deter and reduce break-ins in the Grange and Greenbank areas of the cities.

“Other communities across Edinburgh can also play a vital part in preventing acquisitive crime from occurring by taking the necessary security measures to safeguard their homes, businesses and outbuildings.

“Anyone wishing information on keeping their property and belongings safe can speak with their local policing team.”

Police launch national campaign to target housebreaking

Police Scotland has today launched a national campaign to tackle housebreaking across the country. Operation RAC will be implemented in various areas throughout Scotland to identify those responsible for break-ins and thefts and bring them to justice.

Since 1 April Police Scotland has provided dedicated resources to communities to tackle crimes of violence, sexual assaults and domestic abuse and as a result, greater numbers of these offences are being reported and solved. During this time, the Force has observed an overall increase of around 4% in housebreaking, with a number of areas reporting greater levels of crime than the national average.

As part of Police Scotland’s commitment to community engagement, housebreaking has been identified as a local priority for certain regions and these divisions will now be provided with additional resources and support to address the issue.

The operation will initially run within Edinburgh, Forth Valley, the Lothians and Scottish Borders, Fife, Highlands and Islands, Aberdeenshire and Moray, Aberdeen city and Lanarkshire. In each location, dedicated policing teams have been created to exclusively investigate housebreakings within homes, outbuildings and businesses and apprehend the individuals responsible.

Housebreaking offences will continue to be monitored throughout Scotland and extra support can be provided to any area requiring a more robust response to tackle this issue.

Throughout Operation RAC, Police Scotland will work closely with partners at COPFS to ensure housebreakers are being appropriately dealt with and removed from communities where possible.

Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Mawson said: “Police Scotland remains committed to keeping people safe and I am delighted with the professionalism and dedication our officers have shown as part of our continued focus towards violence reduction.

“We recently launched our local policing campaign, which provides us with the opportunity to speak with individual communities and identify the issues or concerns specifically affecting their area. As a result, housebreaking has been highlighted as a priority for a number of our divisions and officers in these areas will be taking targeted action to detect anyone involved and deter further offences from occurring.

“We are keen to work not only with our partner agencies, but with our communities to address the issue of housebreaking and crime prevention advice for safeguarding your home, shed, outbuildings and businesses can be found on our website – www.scotland.police.uk

“I say this message directly to those intent on committing housebreakings in Scotland – if you engage in this invasive and distressing form of crime, we will use every resource at our disposal to remove you from our communities and ensure you spend time behind bars.”