Beating burglary together: Caravan burglaries down 20%

In the like-for-like period from January to August, overall incidents of burglary in 2023 are down in East Lindsey by 44 offences (20.1%).

In this same period, caravan burglaries in 2023 are down 8 offences (also equating to a 20.1% reduction).

Chief Inspector for East Lindsey, Lee St Quinton, said, “This is a real achievement and a testament to considered planning and a concerted effort through our Summertime Policing Plan which made burglaries a local priority. Working with East Lindsey District Council, and the Caravan Park Watch scheme, this has been a collaborative effort to keep people safe that’s evidenced in the 20% reduction in burglary. It’s great news, but complacency now is not an option. We have previously seen the biggest peak in caravan burglary at end of the season when caravans are left empty and this must now be our focus. There are simple steps you can take to protect your holiday home and rest assured, we will be playing our part in deterring and detecting crime.”

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. A number of arrests were made and hundreds of exhibits recovered in these ongoing investigations. High-visibility patrols across caravan parks will continue as well as proactive use of our police drones, with heat seeking technology, as our bird’s eye view of burglars. Alongside this, we are using covert methods including plain clothes officers. 

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.

“It is equally excellent news that due to the partnership between business and the Police, that burglaries have been on a sharp downward trend and if you are a criminal looking at caravans, you should know that through our partnership at Caravan Park Watch, you are highly likely to get caught! We ‘sell’ the thriving tourist industry and the award winning Lincolnshire coast to millions of customers every year. It is of great pride to us all that we are all working to keep it safe for both visitors and residents and long may it continue.”

Chief Insp St Quinton added, “Please help us continue the successes achieved so far by reporting any suspicious activity and following our crime reduction recommendations to keep your caravan secure.”

The graph below shows the potential scale of the issue in increasing incidents over the coming months. 

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.  

For further information 

In June, we launched our Beating Burglary Together campaign which set out our commitment to raise awareness of where incidents are happening and to provide crime prevention and security advice. The issue of burglaries of caravans is a specific target for this campaign.

If you are a Caravan Site Owner or work within the caravan sector and would like to join the Caravan Park Watch scheme, please contact the Caravan Site Licensing Team for more information via email at [email protected] or by telephone on 01507 613551.