City centre crime blitz launched

4:11pm Wednesday 19th November 2008

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City centre thieves have been warned by police that they will be arrested in an ongoing Christmas crackdown.

Extra uniformed patrols, covert surveillance and the use of ‘capture cars’ and Street Angels has been stepped up after an increase in some types of crime in Bradford city centre.

A rise in break-ins to vehicles and purse thefts has been nipped in the bud after police launched Operation Salina.

City Centre Neighbour-hood Policing Team Inspector Kevin Pickles said that with more Christmas shoppers coming into the city centre recently there had been a substantial increase in thefts from vehicles.

However, no vehicle crimes were reported over the first weekend of the operation.

There has also been a slight increase in “purse dipping,” particularly from elderly people.

As well as increasing the police presence in the city centre, officers are giving crime prevention advice to vulnerable shoppers on the streets.

Bradford South’s new Divisional Commander, Detective Chief Superinten-dent Alison Rose, vowed there would be an undercover police operation in the city centre up to Christmas to reassure law-abiding people.

She said: “The ambition is to make this city the safest in the region for people to enjoy themselves and come Christmas shopping.

“We’ll do everything we possibly can to make the city safe.

“The last thing that people want is to go back to their car and find it has been damaged or their valuables stolen from it.

“It is also a warning to active criminals that there are undercover police operators and capture cars in the city every day.

“We will be trying to get the crime-prevention message across.

“Our Police Community Support Officers will be tasked with approaching people, particularly the elderly, who we think might be vulnerable, to stop it happening to them in the first place.”

One bag-snatch victim, mum-of-two Kay Boswell, supported the police operation.

Kay, 35, of Saltaire, said: “Last year when I was Christmas shopping I was walking up the escalators.

“I had a rucksack on my back and someone tried to pull it off.

“It made me fall back and they ran past me. A couple of people tried to help but it was too late.

“Everyone tries it, even if you have got bags over your shoulder.

“It was done to a friend in Bradford.

“They just cut the straps off her shoulder and ran off with the bag.

“It’s definitely a good idea the police are handing out the leaflets.”