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Burglars avoid jail by working for police
24 Jul 2009Convicted burglars are being given a new way of avoiding jail - going to work for the police.
Twelve prolific offenders are giving crime prevention tips to Hertfordshire Constabulary and in return are given a second chance.
As part of the scheme, criminals agree to admit all their past offences and become "security consultants" for the force.
For three years they will work as advisors while also undergoing drug and alcohol rehabilitation.
The crime prevention advice they have delivered so far includes telling residents to lock doors and windows, put their keys away and close their curtains.
They also suggested locking garden tools in the shed, and not leaving keys in the door if you have a cat flap.
Detective Superintendent Mark Drew said: "This new approach has given us an invaluable insight into how burglars operate.
"It provides us with specific and accurate information which can help us tackle burglary, and gives us an 'insider's' view on how to deter a burglar.
"The information we have obtained has already proved extremely useful, shown by a drop in the current level of home burglaries.
"We regularly issue advice to residents to help prevent them from becoming a victim of a burglar - not leaving gardening tools lying about, for example.
"But if it was the burglars themselves who told you that the one piece of equipment they could ask to find outside your house is a spade, I think that might give people a good reason to lock it away."
A force spokesman denied the programme was a "soft option" and said if the offenders returned to crime they would be sent back to court.
Details of the scheme were reported in Police Review magazine which interviewed two criminals, identified as "John", aged 37, and "Neil", 25.
John, who admitted more than 200 offences, said: "Lock your shed. If you leave a spade or fork in your garden , it is going in the window.
"I have gone through cat flaps - I just removed the flap and crawled through.
"Do not leave your back door key in the door if you have a cat flap because I can just put my hand through and reach the key."
Reader views (13)
I would suggest that all of the residents in hertfordshire move to another county.It is evident that the police are so stupid that they need help from criminals who must be laughing all the way to their next job.The insurance companies know most of the methods used by criminals or didn"t Hertfordshire police know that,of course they do have 100+years of their own records.They really must think that people are stupid.
ray london
- Ray, london, 26/07/2009 22:53
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I received a speeding conviction because my speed was 41mph in what had been a 40mph area until 24 hrs earlier - now 30mph, with no notification of the change in speed limit. May i be employed to advise other motorists how to avoid such ignomy, and have my conviction quashed?
- Kevin, Chalfont St Giles, UK, 25/07/2009 23:19
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Detective Superintendent Mark Drew said: "This new approach has given us an invaluable insight into how burglars operate.
They must be a right bunch of stupid idiots in the Hertfordshire Force if they didn't already know.
- Mike M, Bedford England, 25/07/2009 07:14
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"Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime" Yet another Nuliebour success story, NOT.
- Dee Jay, Fleet UK, 24/07/2009 17:01
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You're missing the point - this is an attempt to rehabilitate serial offenders.
I don't suppose the police will have anything much to learn from these losers, but it may just give the criminals enough experience of a "normal" life to break their drug/drink/crime habit and stop them offending in the future. Worth a try isn't it?
- Nolan, Londonist, 24/07/2009 16:06
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HOW DID THAT MAN BECOME A DET SUPT IF HE NEEDS BURGLARS TO .GIVE HIM AN INSIGHT AS TO HOW THEY COMMIT THEIR CRIMES.UTTER RUBBISH,I NOW KNOW WHY I LIVE IN FRANCE.ALAN,CARLISLE I AGREE WITH YOUR COMMENTS.I AM A RETIRED POLICE OFFICE,MY EX COLLEAGUES MUST PUT THEIR HANDS UP IN UTTER DISPAIR.
- Ken, Paris,France, 24/07/2009 14:31
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"I have gone through cat flaps - I just removed the flap and crawled through."
I suspect that if the cat has scratched or bitten him he would have sued the owner!
- Man U Fan, London, 24/07/2009 13:27
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"I have gone through cat flaps - I just removed the flap and crawled through."
Good lord! How short is John of the 200 offences? It would have made the article so much more interesting if we'd been told at the start of the article he was some kind of leprachaun.
- Sarah Bradshaw, Enfield, Middx, 24/07/2009 13:06
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I can understand employing serial criminals as informants or sources of intelligence in return for lenient treatment or help with addiction, but this seems to be a waste of time. As other correspondents have pointed out, these are suggestions which any half-way decent Crime Prevention Unit could trot out in their sleep. This smacks of an ill-thought out PR stunt rather than a serious attempt at crime prevention.
- Peter Sykes, Knutsford, UK, 24/07/2009 12:49
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Are they working for the police before or after they get caught?
- Bloke, London, 24/07/2009 12:29
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If police don't know any of this common sense stuff, what are they doing in the police force.
This is what happens when you "fast track" candidates in the force, into higher positions, you end up with "crap managers"
To name but 2 Ian Blair and Brian Paddick, now would you really want either of these 2 muppets in charge of your local nick, no you wouldn't but these are the types that are in charge of ordinary common sense police officers.
- P Staker, London, 24/07/2009 11:46
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Lock things away. Don't leave your doors and windows open. Don't leave a spade out or it will go through a window. (so will a rock or Brick) If this is invaluable advice for Inspector Knacker then god help us. I always thought that the above was common sense. Oh sorry plod can't think for themselves can they, every thing must be risk assessed and authorised.
If plod didn't know how a burglar operates then what the hell are they doing in their jobs. It would appear that we have a reactive, rather than a proactive constbulary.
- Alan, carlisle uk, 24/07/2009 09:38
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Well what do you know, crime does pay.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 24/07/2009 09:29
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