Police and ex-burglar working together......

 

Reformed burglar: Jason Fleming, 32, who broke into more than
150 properties, is leading an anti-crime campaign with Police Constable Andy Pickerin

Having spent 1/3 of my career in England, there are moments I truly miss it - in particular their attitude towards crime prevention.  I found a fine example of this in a Daily Mail (UK) article.  It seems a burglar went around scouting out new places to rob.  During his burglary scouting trips, he would note all sorts of things like houses and cars that were easy to rob and which tools would be necessary to gain access to them.  If you're wondering how the cops got a hold of it, that's simple - he dropped them while burglarizing a home.  As you can imagine, the police caught this latest Darwin Award recipient and he's been sentenced to two years imprisonment as a reward for his diligent work.

What makes this a crime prevention masterpiece?  It seems like the local cops weren't just satisfied with just arresting this perpetrator.  No, they saw a "teachable moment" as we Americans like to say.  They magnified the note and began posting it while conducting face-to-face meet-and-greets between local citizens and a "reformed burglar".  So what did they talk about?  He mention the vulnerabilities these residents had such as unlocked vehicles and doors which led into tool sheds or gardens and how he tempted had he still been engaged in his previous profession to pay them another visit.



I've used a similar tactic as a military law enforcement officer working alongside local constables, when I was stationed in the United Kingdom.  We faced a similar problem with American servicemen and women who often became complacent in their personal security posture given the perceived tranquility of their new surroundings.  What many did not realize was the area was teaming with local criminals who were always look for new opportunities to burglarize.  Unfortunately, this demographic was almost always that "new opportunity".  However, we achieved phenomenal results which brought theft from vehicles down by almost 75%.  Many residents were unaware of how vulnerable they were and what they unintentionally left in their vehicles.  We also identified and towed several abandoned vehicles which often invite crime into an area.  If we were unable to speak with a resident, their military leadership was notified and allowed to handle the situation more "intimately" than we could.  Let's just say we were quite impressed by the results we saw after our visits.

If you're in crime prevention and have a similar story or tactic you employed, please comment below.