Catching a Burglar in the Act

14Apr08

Some says it only happens once in your career as a police officer. I hope not because I’ve not been in that long really.

I was crewed up with Pc Sammy Stroker on the night before Christmas eve one year. We had just been back to a house party that had gone a bit wrong for the third time that night. This time we had got a bit more physical with the unwelcome guests. Some had been physically thrown out of the house by us because we had got fed up with being called back there. The most satisfying part for me was when a couple of the lads in the house saw us, panicked and ran to the bathroom upstairs and started to promptly flush the toilet. Sometimes its more fun to know they have had to flush “it” away themselves than have them hand it over to us and have to do all of the paperwork. It must be really frustrating for them but it makes me chuckle. The group finally left the street after the gobby little twat that just couldn’t leave it had been arrested for Breach of the Peace. This finally sent the message home. He was “escorted” out of the area and to a place where the peace could no longer be breached and left to make his way home.

About an hour later a call came over the radio of a group of youths in a nearby village causing damage to some cars in the street. They were then seen to make their way on to a small park at the bottom of the street. I knew the street and park well. The park had three (official) ways in and out. One was a small alley way from the street with the damaged cars, the second was out on to a field and the third was on to another street that ran parallel to the first. The park was bordered either side by the two parallel streets gardens and to the rear by a brand new luxury housing development of a few massive houses. The forth side was a stream and a thick hedge with a field the other side.

I shouted up that me and Pc Stroker would make our way to the other street to try and head off the group. I knew the Area Car was not far away so I directed them to the first street where the damaged cars were. As we got out of our panda both me and Pc Stroker heard two loud smashes coming from the direction of the park. We walked down the alley way and on to the park which was pitch black. Luckily neither of us were wearing our yellow jackets and I had my navy blue Nato jumper on because it was so cold so we both blended into the darkness quite well.

As we walked on to the park we could both hear the sound of voices coming from the back of the park towards the posh housing development. As our eyes adjusted to the darkness we could see 4-5 figures climbing over the fence that separated the park from this development and a figure standing at the back of one of the houses. We both edged back towards the alley way from were we had just come and started to walk towards the group keeping against the hedgerow. We then heard one of the group say “That’s breaking and entering..” Now if that’s not an admission then I do not know what is! As we got closer I saw one of the group climb out of the conservatory window. I could see that this window wasn’t open so the loud crash must have been the window being put in.

More mobiles were on their way. I directed the Area Car to the original street where the call had come in from and they blocked the alley way off. Myself and Pc Stroker had the second alley way and the field covered. I then told the other mobiles to go to the front of the posh houses. All of this was done in whispers over the air and all mobiles attended on a silent approach.

Most of the group had climbed back over the fence and were now on the park. We could hear them trying to decide what to do. Me and Pc Stroker were then joined by a Dog Handler. His dog was not the quietest pooch in the world and I thought the youths might get spooked but they didn’t seem to hear a thing. When everybody was in place, me, Pc Stroker and the dog handler ran towards the group shouting at them to stop and get down on the floor. The dog was barking and snarling and we were all screaming at them.

Two of the group were straight over the fence back into the garden of the house, they disappeared around the front of the house straight into the arms of the waiting officers. The other two panicked and didn’t know which way to run. All were promptly cuffed and arrested for Burglary.

When the house was checked, a piece of paving slab had been thrown through the conservatory window. The house was actually empty which is probably why the group had given up and climbed over the fence back on to the park.

It turned out that the four had been at the house party we had attended earlier in the evening and were making their way home after we had kicked them out for the final time. All four spent Christmas Eve in custody.

The job couldn’t have gone any better. Everything went to plan and even the radio dispatcher thanked us all for a quality job. None of them got charged with burglary (no surprise) but all were dealt with for Criminal Damage either by Reprimand, or Charge. I’m sure they all had a lovely Christmas.

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