I was very pleased to read this in my local newspaper - Bolton Evening News. (NB I only wish they would use some common sense when looking out for speeding motorists, though!)
Camera traps drive-in thieves
Tuesday 21 December 2004 15:47
CHECKPOINTS set up to protect Bolton homes from burglars led to the arrest of 22 known criminals and the recovery of stolen cars worth more than �100,000.
The arrests were made after police used special roadside cameras on the outskirts of Bolton, looking for cars owned by thieves or vehicles which had been reported stolen.
Police were targeting burglars from outside Bolton who have been plaguing homes in the Heaton and Lostock areas.
It has been revealed that as a result of the operation, mounted over four nights from Thursday, burglaries were reduced by 50 per cent compared to last year and the numbers of cars stolen or broken into fell by 63 per cent. In addition to the 22 known criminals arrested, four drink drivers were caught.
Thefts from houses and cars traditionally soar as Christmas approaches.
Officers used special cameras on tripods which monitored traffic along routes including the A666 Blackburn Road, the A6 from Chorley, Scout Road and exits off the M61. The cameras focused on car registration numbers and fed information to police officers parked further along the road. A lap top computer informed the waiting officers of any stolen car or vehicle owned by a known criminal.
Police chiefs said today the crackdown had been a success and warned that a similar operation would be mounted in the coming days.
Insp Simon Miskell, who led the operation, said: “We’re committed to stopping this type of crime. Even if these people get into Bolton, we will make sure they do not get out again.”
Teams of officers were parked on the selected routes from 9pm on four nights from Thursday until early Monday morning, using the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system uses infa-red technology to read number plates.
Information is fed back into a national database which tells officers if a vehicle is stolen or if its owner is suspected of a crime.
Police can then use stop and search powers to checks cars for drugs, stolen goods and equipment which could be used in crime.
“This is traditionally one of the times in the year when people’s houses and cars are at greater danger,” said Insp Miskell.
"We know that travelling criminals come from places like Darwen and Chorley and even further afield to burgle some of the big houses we have in the west of Bolton.
“We’ve never used the ANPR system over such a sustained period before, but we’re very pleased with the results and we will be repeating the exercise.”
Officers from Bolton liased with Lancashire Police and also had the Greater Manchester Police plane, on standby in case of a car chase.
People were arrested for a number offences including burglary, car theft, driving while disqualified, being drunk and disorderly, drink driving and possession of drugs.
Among the stolen cars recovered was a Range Rover Vogue, worth �65,000, and a �30,000 Audi A4 Quattro.
Insp Miskell said: “Many of the routes we targeted were the main roads into Bolton, but we also targeted Scout Road because it’s used by people who think they can stay away from the police after they have had a drink and want to drive home.”