CCTV used to fight back against spike in break ins at Northampton town centre businesses

Borough council CCTV operators aided the Neighbourhood Policing Team’s investigations into these burglaries by helping to identify potential suspects for stop and search purposes.

Thanks to this and footage gained during burglaries, three suspects have been identified and arrested.

Two of the offenders were arrested on the streets of Northampton and both charged with burglary and handling stolen property offences.

A third offender was arrested after activating alarms installed by the Northamptonshire Police’s Crime Prevention Team and being tracked by CCTV operators. The offender is currently on remand awaiting trial.

Between January and March, there was a rise in burglaries in St Giles Street and Abington Street, with a number of businesses targeted multiple times during this time frame. However, since the investigation in April, a decrease in overnight burglaries in the town centre has been recorded.

Councillor Anna King, cabinet member for community engagement and safety, said: “Our CCTV systems play a vital part in making Northampton a great and safer place to live, work and visit.

“With the rise in town centre burglaries earlier this year, town centre businesses were left feeling particularly vulnerable, so we’re pleased that our partnership working has helped to bring the main offenders to justice.”

Chief Superintendent Mick Stamper, head of Neighbourhood Policing at Northamptonshire Police, said: “We’ve worked in partnership with Northampton Borough Council for many years and our officers have put a lot of work into these investigations. As ever we’re grateful for the support of the CCTV team and look forward to continuing to work together to make Northampton safer for all.”