Twelve arrested for burglary as Operation Shepherd continues

In the last month, twelve hardened criminals have been caught in Merseyside and arrested for burglary and related offences as Merseyside Police continues its Christmas operation, known as Operation Shepherd.

The operation is Merseyside Police’s annual campaign to prevent and reduce crime and keep communities safe during the festive period. It is an intelligence-led policing operation that uses a variety of tactics including uniformed and plain-clothes officers, specialist search dogs and the targeting of known offenders.

Detective Inspector Kevin O’Rourke who heads up the burglary team said: “These recent arrests relate to seven different investigations of varying complexity with some involving other force areas and in one case, a callous distraction burglary involving an elderly victim.

“Three offenders were put before the courts as Operation Shepherd got underway. Another five are now in prison, having either been remanded in custody or recalled to serve remaining sentences. The others are subject of ongoing investigations.

“Two of these offenders were arrested overnight on Tuesday 12 December, having been caught driving on the M62 in a vehicle that was suspected to have been stolen in Birmingham. They are now bailed pending further enquiries by our colleagues in West Midlands Police.

“Merseyside Police is relentless in the pursuit of offenders and just these dozen arrests have involved burglary detectives, response officers, dog handlers, Roads Policing officers and colleagues providing specialist support to recover forensic evidence.

“These burglars have targeted people’s homes and shown no regard for those people and their possessions. In many instances, they have caused enormous distress for their victims. I am pleased to say that whether they are now in prison or on bail, Christmas is looking very different for these criminals.”

The support of our communities is vital in helping us put offenders behind bars. If you discover video footage on your home security camera or smart doorbell that shows someone acting suspiciously on your property, you can upload it for the attention of the Operation Castle team here:
https://unitedkingdom1cpp-portal.digital-policing.co.uk/merseyside/appeal/castle

You can share any other information you think is useful via our social media desk on X @MerPolCC or Facebook ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’.

You can also pass information via Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org