“I walked into my bedroom after a family vacation and what I saw changed me forever”

It all started with a childhood memory that haunts him to this day. Sup. chief Chris Foster was a boy when he returned from a family holiday to find his house had been broken into.

“I remember an eight-year-old kid being hacked,” he recalled. “It was my family home in Barnsley. I had gone camping for a weekend and put a new window frame in the back of the house – so it was putty and glass and it was wood. It was a wooden sill that had not been painted.

“I went into the house and there were bits and bobs scattered everywhere. I clearly remember the boot print on the windowsill. It was a signal that someone had been in the house.

“They stole my mother’s engagement ring. They had gone through all the bedrooms and that night I couldn’t sleep.”

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The moment changed Chris’ perspective and made him feel unsafe in his own home.

“I had to put a roller under my bed, which offered some semblance of comfort and protection,” he said. “But even today I remember that feeling of walking in and thinking someone was in my bedroom.”

His anger at the violation is still visceral. And now, it’s the feeling that drives him to protect others in their own homes.

Greater Manchester Police’s top constable has helped launch an anti-burglary initiative to reduce the number of burglaries in the area. The force launched Operation Castle.

The message behind the name is simple – “A castle should be your safe place, your home,” he said. The force focuses on making sure people’s homes are kept safe.

Sucking. says he has been tasked with implementing a “cultural change” called for by GMP Chief Constable Stephen Watson in the way burglary and victim support is investigated in the region.

It means more robust investigations, genuine empathy with victims and the use of psychology.

The results are impressive. In 2020, there were 21,875 burglaries in Greater Manchester. So far this year there have been 11,236. The launch of Operation Castle in July 2021 led to higher detection rates and more arrests.

But it makes rank-and-file officers realize the long-lasting impact the break-in can have on people, which prompted the force’s operation.

“Now he’s more focused on breaking. We worked with victims where they came to talk to us about how we reacted to the burglaries. The impact on some of them as a result of the break-in was horrific. I saw people who moved. houses because they were broken into. You’re talking about impact crimes, I think it’s sex crimes,” surf said.

“We need to make sure we put together a quality investigation and file a case to charge a person and bring them to court. Sentencing is outside our remit, but we can have discussions with the Crown Prosecution Service and perhaps influence it.

“I know the Chief Constable has done this in many cases, with the CPS leadership, that we need to work together better. We are arresting a lot of people – the number arrested for theft has increased massively. We need to respond. 999 calls quickly and attends promptly. The culture has changed.It gives closure to victims if they know someone has been arrested, taken to court and convicted.

Sup. Chief Foster insists that the “it’s a break-in, what chance do you have of catching it” mentality among cops is gone.

“How do you know unless you get out there and investigate?” he said.

“The chief constable said that where someone breaks into your house and commits a burglary, we’re going to investigate every case. It’s the right thing to do.”

Overall, burglary offenses in Greater Manchester saw a 31.6% reduction between 2021-22 and 2023-24, with 7,382 fewer offences.

Business and community burglaries fell by 28%, from 5,478 in 2021-22 to 3,942 in 2023-24. Residential burglary crime decreased by 32.7%, with 5,846 fewer crimes recorded between October ’23 and September ’24 compared to October ’21 – September ’22.

The proportion of arrests from recorded offenses increased from 12.8 per cent in 2022-23 to 14.2 in 2023-24. In the same period, the number of burglaries solved in the business environment increased from 6.9 percent to 16.8, and for residential burglaries it increased from 4.8 percent to 9.9. The return is a major one, considering that four years ago about 1% of burglaries were solved.

Sup. Chief Foster said: “We’re starting with preventative messaging, for example as the darker nights start making sure people don’t leave doors open and alerting students returning for the new term – they often live with other students and can be a target.”

Officers visit university campuses and organize crime prevention stalls during freshers’ week.

Other burglary prevention messages are issued at Christmas time about the risk of leaving gifts on display in homes or vehicles. Sup. Chief Foster said: “We have had an increase in family burglaries targeting Asian families. We can tie that to a certain time of year, which is traditionally wedding season – and send messages in advance.”

The force is also issuing postcode-specific warnings and advice in areas where a number of burglaries have occurred.

GMP also adapted the “nudge theory” first used at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. “The airport has spent thousands of pounds cleaning the floors of the men’s urinals and has been thinking about how to cut costs and make a more specific target for men. So they got the transfer of a fly in the bottom of the urinal – so usually men aim and it became a more accurate shot.

“Then I spoke to Jason Roach, a professor at Huddersfield University, and worked with him on how nudge theory can be used to get someone to do something, rather than telling them they’re doing something wrong. a way to get people to do something different.

“So, for example, with the student issue, instead of going and saying ‘you’re rubbish, there’s six of you living together, you leave your doors open and you don’t know who’s coming in or out.’ If there was a break-in, you ask ‘Do you close your door when you go out, make sure it’s locked’ It’s better to be a little nuanced about nudging people rather than blaming the victim.’

He added: “There are repeat or near-repeat victimizations where people are more likely to be burglarized six to eight weeks after being burglarized. You would think that would keep the thief away since there might be an increased presence there. But it is decreasing. in optimal foraging theory, burglars know the area, they know where they’re going, they know it’s a weak point, and what they’ll get when they break in. Also, if you live near someone who has been hacked, you are more likely to be hacked.”

Officers dispatched following the break-in now receive an investigation-based package. “A lot of the things we were doing were well-intentioned, but a blanket approach to them. We needed to be a bit more sophisticated to improve services for our victims.”

The packs include house-to-house inquiry files – a nudge to the officer – that they have to knock on doors looking for witnesses and CCTV. A home security checklist is completed by victims, which gives them a score that helps identify weaknesses in defending their property. In addition, there is an investigation leaflet on burglary standards for officers to follow.

A few days after a burglary a PCSO will attend. “We do something called cocooning – we see what else we can do for the victim and the neighbours. We can, for example, assist with replacing doors and windows if it’s a local authority or housing association property – if it’s not, we can provide kit such as window alarms and timers for turning on lights, but there needs to be sophistication in this meaning – we would ask if a downstairs light comes on every night you are gone for two weeks or does it come on in the bathroom at 3am and then go off. after a minute – it has to be subtle to give the impression that someone is in the property.”

Hotspot patrols mean officers are now returning to an area where a property has been broken into weeks later to ensure neighbors are aware of a potential second strike by criminals.

Greater Manchester Police can be contacted via gmp.police.uk or 101. In an emergency, always dial 999. Information about crime can also be shared anonymously through the independent charity – Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.