Police arrest 55 in crackdown on burglaries in Sunderland

Since the launch of Operation Impact last month – a dedicated campaign to take action against burglars and stop them in their tracks – 55 people have been arrested in South Tyneside.

The campaign, which will run until the end of this month, has seen dedicated patrols in hotspot areas to act as a deterrent and take immediate action against burglars.

Northumbria Police say they will continue to target suspected burglars and make more arrests.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Vera Baird, said: “Operations like this demonstrate that our officers are taking strong action to make sure criminals who commit burglaries across South Tyneside are brought to justice.

"Tackling this issue will remain a priority and I urge local residents to continue working with their neighbourhood officers, reporting anything suspicious and taking crime prevention advice on board."

Southern Area Command Chief Inspector Jerry Pearson said: "Operation Impact is our response to stop burglars in their tracks. The operation has now been running for a month and already we have arrested 83 men and women in Sunderland and South Tyneside and searched numerous houses and other premises in connection with burglary offences.

"Our message to burglars is quite simply we will continue to target you until you stop committing burglary, if we suspect you are responsible for a burglary then we will do everything we can to arrest you. And, those who help burglars - either by handling stolen goods or covering their tracks - will also not evade police.