Operation Mallet is SouthCambsCops latest drive to get tough on rural crime. Since April Police officers working in South Cambridgeshire have been adapting patrol work to suit the needs of our vast rural setting. Criminals do not have the luxury that an urban area affords them, so have to travel between villages over large distances to commit crime. Officers working in rural areas have to adapt to these displaced and often sporadic crime patterns.

Crime trends – Trends such a fuel theft, car crime and burglary rarely happen in one defined area and often do not follow a pattern. What is clear however is that criminals will travel vast distances to find isolated premises and victims to steal from.  Operation Mallet is an intelligence led initiative to target the right people at the right times. By analysing vehicle types, preferred location types and “red routes” officers are stopping vehicles being used for crime. In April SouthCambsCops stopped 142 vehicles across the district as part of the operation.  Sgt Chris Horton Op Mallet coordinator commented “We have seen real reductions in rural crimes such as fuel thefts and car crime in areas where officers have employed Op Mallet tactics”.

Traditional policing? – Op Mallet goes further than having bobbies on the beat, “Over a large rural area we must ensure our officers are intelligence led, and have everything they need to respond quickly to changes in crime” Sgt Horton said, “and our most successful stop searches are generally as a result of community intelligence”.

Reporting suspicious behaviour has never been so important. Call 101 to pass us general information or 999 if you see a crime in progress. If you would like to learn more about home crime prevention or South Cambs business watch, contact use by emailing southcambscops@cambs.pnn.police.uk