New police operation to 'keep York a no-go area for burglars'

North Yorkshire Police said Operation Cordial was a new initiative to respond to burglaries in York.

"When a house is burgled, police deploy extra resources in the immediate area to provide reassurance and support to the community," said a spokeswoman.

"York Neighbourhood Policing Team will be working alongside volunteers, police cadets and Special Constables to visit streets where a burglary has occurred.

"They will provide crime prevention tips and advice to residents, as well as discuss other crime prevention initiatives such as the North Yorkshire Community Messaging (NYCM) service and dot peen property marking, which have already proven a success."

Inspector Lee Pointon, of North Yorkshire Police said Operation Cordial would be implemented in every street in York where there had been a burglary, and would provide reassurance and support to communities.

"Our aim is to improve police visibility and engagement within the local community, and help keep York a very safe place."

He said that by offering advice ‘surgeries’ to the public in targeted areas and promoting other successful crime prevention tools, the police could educate members of the public on how to protect their property as well as deterring would-be criminals.

The spokeswoman said North Yorkshire Community Messaging was a free service that allowed residents to register to receive the latest crime notifications and community news for their local neighbourhood, and was used by more than 20,000 people across York and North Yorkshire.

"Dot peen marking involves using a tungsten carbide-tipped pin to indent an object with dots to create a visible, permanent unique number," she added.

"The unique number will be entered onto the national Immobilise property register database, vastly increasing the chances that it will be reunited with its owner if it is lost or stolen."

The Press has asked North Yorkshire Police if there have been any burglaries in York in recent weeks.