POLICE IN THE UK are facing criticism after letting themselves into unlocked homes and taking photos as part of an anti-burglary drive.
The Coventry City Police came under fire for posting the images on social media with the hashtag #stoleninseconds.
Some of the photos show unlocked doors or windows, but other, now deleted, posts showed officers standing inside unsecured properties.
In one tweet, an image of an officer standing in a hallway was captioned: “Another house left open, owner advised, that’s 6 in half hour!! Stop making life easy for thieves.”
Criticism
The campaign quickly faced backlash online from users who accused the force of illegally trespassing private property.
Now, the Coventry City Police team says it will “review” its “burglary prevention tactics”.
In a statement quoted by the BBC, Coventry Police Chief Inspector Helen Kirkman said she had not received any complaints from residents about the campaign.
“A significant proportion all burglaries in this area − in excess of 25% − are ‘walk-in’ offences committed by opportunists taking advantage of properties left unsecure,” she said.
Neighbourhood police teams have been on patrol to deter such offences, look for suspects, and to offer crime prevention advice to residents.
If they find a door or window left open I think people would want officers to check everything is OK at that address and not to just walk on by.
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