Three men have been arrested and charged with various housebreaking offences in Edinburgh as part of Operation RAC.
Sometime between Monday 27th and Thursday 30th April a property in Cobden Terrace was broken into and various personal belongings were stolen from within.
Police then responded to a business premises in Orwell Place on Friday 1st following a report of a break-in.
A short time later, officers also received a report of an attempted break-in at a flat in Caledonian Crescent.
Operation RAC enquiries established all of these incidents were linked and a 28-year-old man was subsequently arrested and charged.
He will appear in court at a later date.
As a result of an Operation RAC investigation into the theft of a Ford Ka from a home in Crammond Crescent on 29th January, the vehicle was recovered earlier this month and was found to contain stolen property from a number of recent housebreakings.
A 16-year-old male was later identified and charged with six break-ins and thefts from addresses in Cramond Crescent, Craigcrook Square, Woodfield Avenue, Craigleith Crescent and Craigmount Place.
Operation RAC officers have also been investigating a housebreaking, which occurred at a flat in Parkhead Street on 16th April, where the occupant disturbed a male inside the property.
Following various lines of enquiry a 44-year-old man has now been charged in connection with this incident and reported to the Procurator Fiscal.
Since Operation RAC re-launched within Edinburgh in April this year, officers have solved a total of 200 housebreaking offences at business and residential properties across the Capital.
In addition, 80 individuals have been charged with a total of 300 break-ins and attempted break-ins, while 50 people have also been charged with motor vehicle thefts linked to housebreaking.
Following six weeks of enforcement activity, the number of recorded housebreakings has fallen from just over 70 per week, to 50 per week.
Furthermore, the detection rate for crimes of this nature has risen to 30 per cent, having previously been at around five per cent prior to the re-launch of Operation RAC.
Superintendent Matt Richards said: “We recognise the devastating impact housebreaking has on victims and Edinburgh’s communities have continually highlighted this issue as a policing priority.
“To reflect our commitment to tackling housebreaking and associated offences, we re-launched Operation RAC and over the past six weeks we have arrested several individuals for hundreds of crimes that have taken place across the Capital.
“Operation RAC will continue to identify those responsible for housebreaking and acquisitive crime and in addition to proactive enforcement activity, officers regularly engage with the public to offer a range of crime prevention advice.”
“Anyone wishing more information on safeguarding their homes or businesses can contact 101 or visit www.scotland.police.uk.”
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
