Information on Loughborough

Offender management pays dividends in Loughborough

Posted on 18/05/2009

arrest,villain,police,constabulary Offender management pays dividends in Loughborough

14 of the 37 people who have featured in Loughborough’s ‘Top Ten’ prolific offender list have been jailed for nearly seven years between them. 

In October 2008, the police in Loughborough announced they were targeting a top ten of the town’s most persistent offenders.  They are known to the police because they have a long history of criminal activity. Officers have actively targeted them through daily, sometimes twice daily, visits to their homes, and by rigorously enforcing any court restrictions imposed upon them and arresting them if they are breached.  If anyone in the top ten is sentenced they are removed from the list and another offender is added.

Twenty four warrants have also been carried out under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and Section 26 of the Theft Act 1968 since and stolen property and drugs have been recovered. 

Since ‘Operation Invoke’ was started, burglaries across Loughborough have reduced by 12%.  It is part of a planned and coordinated response in partnership with other agencies such as Charnwood Borough Council’s Housing and Anti-Social Behaviour officers; the Drug Intervention Programme (DIP) and the Multi-Agency Public Protection Offender Management teams (MAPPOM). 

Inspector Tim McCabe, Commander of Loughborough local policing unit, said; “Operation Invoke was launched back in October to tackle an increase in burglaries that we were seeing across Loughborough.  It also reflects our commitment under the Policing Pledge to pursue criminals relentlessly to keep you and your neighbourhood safe from harm. 

“By compiling a list of the top ten and putting them under close scrutiny we have made a real impact on their offending behaviour.  Between the fourteen people who have been sentenced they are serving six years and nine months between them.   The list is reviewed every two weeks and changed to include those people who we think are causing the most pain to our residents.” 

“Through our daily meetings, all officers are briefed about who is in the top ten and why we are targeting them.  We look at where they live, who they associate with and the areas they are most likely to target.  Some offenders have restrictions placed on them by the courts which officers are rigidly enforcing and putting them back before the courts if they break their restrictions.” 

“Since Op Invoke was launched, not only have we seen a reduction in burglaries we’ve also seen a reduction in car crime with theft from cars down by 12%.

Tom Kiernan, Charnwood Borough Council’s Head of Communities and Partnerships, said: “We wish to commend the work of our police colleagues and supporting agencies.  This initiative has been both well thought through and executed.  It is good to see that focussed actions delivered through positive partnership working can have such an impact. 

“These results will provide reassurance to residents and ensure that prolific offenders know that they will be pursued and caught.”