Beating burglary together on the Lincolnshire Coast

Are you visiting our coast this half term?

We want to update you on what we are doing to reduce caravan burglaries, and advise on what you can do to help reduce the risk.  

An important element of our Beating Burglary Together campaign is proactive targeting of risk. We anticipate a spike in offences in October and this year, we are ready.

We want people to be – and feel – safe when staying at our coastal resorts, and we have a number of initiatives underway in order to deter and detect caravan burglary.

We have:

• increased patrols of both uniform and plain clothes officers,
• drone support with heat-seeking technology to target those moving around site during the night,
• additional resources, brought in from other areas, to support Operation Songlark (our coordinated response to caravan burglary).

Chief Inspector for East Lindsey, Lee St Quinton, said, “We have already arrested five suspects of caravan burglary this year through our concentrated efforts. The number of offences is down 20% this summer compared to the summer of 2022. We want to make sure that these positive results continue with our increased patrols, use of drones and additional resources. You can help. Please take all your valuables home with you including electrical items like your TV. Do not hide anything in cupboards or under duvets; criminals will find them. Sadly, we know how burglary affects people. We see their fear and frustration. We will continue to do all we can to protect our residents and visitors and appreciate their support in reporting anything suspicious and following our crime reduction recommendations.”  

In the like-for-like period from January to August, overall incidents of burglary in 2023 are down in East Lindsey by 20.1%. In this same period, caravan burglaries in 2023 are also down 20.1%.

Chief Insp St Quinton continued, “This reduction has been achieved through a collaborative effort with East Lindsey District Council and the Caravan Park Watch scheme. It’s a positive trend that we are determined to continue. We know that the biggest risk is at end of the season and we are ready for that.”  

The policing effort to combat caravan burglaries, dubbed Operation Songlark, has continued through the summer season with the emphasis on reducing crime and reducing the fear of crime in the area. The local Neighbourhood Policing Team supported by both specialist investigation and proactive teams, continue the aims of tracing offenders swiftly, recovering stolen property and bringing offenders to justice.

John Chappell, Chairman of Caravan Park Watch, said, “Not only has the industry become the eyes and ears of the Police in this sector but by leading from the front, Lincolnshire Police have achieved an enviable unity amongst Park owners and operators. It is incredible what this police and business partnership has achieved so we 100% welcome a renewed focus by Lincolnshire Police on raising awareness of caravan burglaries and crime prevention advice.”

 

End of season crime reduction recommendations 

• Remove all valuables from your caravan, especially flat screen TVs, games consoles and DVD players. It’s tempting to leave them under the bed, or in a cupboard. Don’t. Thieves will find them.
• Leave all the curtains open, remove net curtains and leave cupboards empty with doors open. Make it clear to would-be thieves there is nothing worth stealing.
• Make sure that all your contact details are up to date at the site office / storage office.
• Place a “valuables removed” sign on your windows.
• Make sure all windows are locked and if possible, cable tie the handles.
• Leave a blank sheet of paper inside the doorway when you finally lock up. A footprint can help trace an offender.  
• Remove gas bottles as they can be a target for thieves.
• Consider if your lock needs upgrading to a professionally fitted anti-snap lock. You can find a local locksmith on the Master Locksmiths Association website.   
• If your caravan is in regular use, we recommend property marking and property registering – you can register it for free on Immobilise – this helps our investigation if you do have items stolen and helps ensure you get it back.