Macclesfield Local Policing Unit targets thieves with special operation

Officers from Macclesfield Local Policing Unit have joined forces with the Constabulary’s special units under Operation Shield to tackle a recent spate of burglaries.

Operation Shield is the Constabulary’s response to cross border criminals targeting Cheshire residents.

Officers have teamed up with the specialist departments including Neighbourhood teams, CID and the Roads and Crime Unit to tackle the issue head on by stepping up patrols in hotspot areas to disrupt and deter criminals.

Local officers and PCSOs have also been proactively targeting burglary hotspots, providing crime prevention advice, putting warning stickers in the windows and issuing SelectaDNA property marking kits, a cutting-edge way of protecting property from theft. Each bottle within the kit contains a unique DNA code and thousands of tiny microdots that, once applied, identify it as yours.

As well as the free kits that officers are distributing, Cheshire residents and business owners can purchase additional kits, using a unique code, for £27 including VAT and postage (RRP £59.50). Visit the SelectaDNA website and enter the unique code: NHWSHIELD.

If an item is stolen and recovered, if the property is marked, the owner can be identified and the property returned.

DCI Mark Whittaker said: “We’re currently investigating a recent rise in burglaries in the areas of Wilmslow and Poynton. We have pulled out all the stops to find those responsible, as well as providing comprehensive crime prevention advice to protect residents.

“We’ve enlisted the help of our specialist departments to help us identify and target those intent on committing crime in East Cheshire. We have already made some arrests and will continue to find those responsible so we can put them before the courts.

“The message is clear - we are determined to make life difficult for thieves, whether that’s through using intelligence to target those responsible, or arming residents with Selecta DNA and of course making sure they are our eyes and ears in the community, spotting suspicious activity and reporting it us. By working together, we can make Cheshire hostile to criminals.”

It’s even more important that people review their security and keep an eye out for suspicious activity in the run up to Christmas when the darker nights and the likelihood of gifts and expensive items entice thieves to take a chance on breaking into your home.

PCSO James Morris said: “We have been targeting hotspot areas since 2021, together with Wilmslow Neighbourhood PCs and PCSOs visiting more than 400 houses, providing burglary prevention advice and preventative deterrence window stickers, gathering 160 Resident’s Voice surveys, and utilising hot-spot patrols to deter offenders and reassure the community. We will continue with this initiative to make all our residents aware of the measures they can take to protect their property and that of their neighbours.”

Anyone who sees suspicious activity should contact police on 101 or via the website. Every piece of information officers get from the community helps to build a picture of thieves’ activity in the area, and in some cases helps them catch them in the act. So if something doesn’t seem right, please report it.