South Yorkshire's Police & Crime Commissioner: Catching burglars is a 'huge priority'
We've been speaking to Dr Alan Billings about the issue
South Yorkshire's Police & Crime Commissioner tells us it's a 'major priority' to catch burglars across Sheffield, Doncaster, Barnsley & Rotherham.
It's as the number of burglaries in Goldthorpe - over a six-month period - reduced from 42 last December - to 15 in May of this year.
Dr Alan Billings says the force have been working closely with people living in the area & Barnsley Council to make a difference there:
"A prolific burglar may be responsible for a lot of burglaries in a given area.
"If you can get this person locked away, then the number of burglaries normally decreases.
"Hopefully, that will be the case all across South Yorkshire - not just in Goldthorpe."
He also has these tips on how it can be prevented:
"Put yourself in the shoes of a burglar.
"Think about the easiest way into your property. Are you going to bed at night and leaving a small window open in a kitchen?
"Do you have doors which are made of glass, with the car keys on display through them?
"There's all sorts of things we can do to make it harder for burglars.
"If you're going on holiday, don't tell everybody on social media that you're going on holiday, because you may be telling criminals the same thing.
"Burglars often return to the same area as well, so if you know one has happened recently in your local neighbourhood, just be a little wary of that.
"CCTV and lights outside of a property can come in handy too when it comes to disrupting burglars in the act."