For the past six weeks, South Yorkshire Police have been targeting those who engage in Sheffield’s Stolen Goods Market. Operation “Kustody” – running from Monday 14th July to Sunday 31st August – has seen the arrest of over 100 suspects, as well as revealing the extent of this type of crime in the city and wider area. Above all, the prevalence of underhand trading in goods has shown the local community just how important it is to stay vigilant.
In total, officers were able to arrest some 87 suspects for a number of crimes during the course of the operation, as well as a further 25 arrest warrants throughout the city itself. Of these 25, 14 individuals were arrested. In addition, South Yorkshire Police were able to confiscate mobile phones, laptops, a quantity of Class A and Class B drugs as well as several weapons.
Operations like Operation “Kustody” really do shed light on the prevalence of burglary and other related crimes, and Superintendent Scott Green was quick to point out the “devastating impact on victims and local communities” that these crimes have, whilst reaffirming the commitment of South Yorkshire Police to tackle theft, burglary and other forms of organised crime.
Central to the success of “Kustody”, however, was the importance of home security in preventing crime as well as significantly reducing the incidence of burglary and break-ins – in fact, over 5000 property marking kits were issued by police officers. Also instrumental in raising awareness of home security problems were the 3000 booklets distributed by South Yorkshire Police that dealt with the issue.
With SIA approved security services personnel as well as a complete range of security tools and equipment, 1st Security Solutions have been firm advocates of crime prevention methods. We believe that for ongoing crime prevention, shoring up your home and business security is an essential first line of defence against opportunistic thieves. If you would like to discuss your security situation with our experts, call us for a free consultation and see what we can do for you.
Even though Operation “Kustody” is over, the threat of lost and damaged property remains. Anyone who may have information regarding the handling of stolen goods can call South Yorkshire Police on 101, or if they wish to give information anonymously they can contact CrimeStoppers on 0800 553 111.