CROOKS have been warned the chance of getting caught for burglary has "gone through the roof."

A crackdown on burglary is being launched this autumn by Essex Police.

Codenamed Operation Meteor it encourages people to mark their valuables to make them less attractive to thieves which in turn reduces burglary.

It also introduces policing tactics to catch criminals not used across Essex on this scale before.

This week the force deployed dozens of officers in Colchester and across the county to help reduce burglary.

As part of the operation, second-hand shops are working in partnership with us to make property ‘too hot to handle’.

Every item taken to second-hand shops will be checked for each type of property marking.

Every suspect which attends custody will be scanned for traces of forensic marking liquids which are available to the public.

Chief Superintendent Ewen Wilson, Essex Police’s lead for burglary, said: “Burglary and theft is an intrusive and personal crime that effects our communities.

"When a victim has their home burgled it has a real impact on their feeling of safety and can take many months or years for those targeted to feel truly safe again in their own home.

“Our previous operational activity was a success and resulted in a significant decrease in burglary.

"This is testament to the fact that property marking, which is such a simple thing to do, can make a difference to our communities, make residents feel safer and hopefully prevent many people from having to go through the heartbreak of having their home broken into and valuables stolen.

“Property marking deters burglars from stealing it in the first place by making valuables too hot to handle.

“We want to educate the public about security measures they can take. But we also want criminals to know that we are making life harder for them as property marking makes it much easier for us to catch them and bring them to justice.

"There is a clear message to criminals: the chance of getting caught for burglary in Essex has just gone through the roof.”

What is property marking?

Property marking is a proven deterrent to thieves and it makes it harder for criminals to sell on stolen goods, which in turn deters them from burgling homes and businesses.

Data suggests the use of property marking products significantly increase the chance of convicting a suspect of burglary.

Residents can protect their property by marking it with both hidden and visible marking.

Hidden marking can be anything from UV pens to logging and photographing items you own.

Visible marking can be anything from engraving an item to using a permanent pen to label goods with a postcode. Residents and business owners can also purchase intruder sprays.

These sprays cover intruders with a forensically detectable liquid which shows up on suspects when they are arrested and brought into our custody suite.