Episode 2 Thief Trackers


Episode 2

Similar Content

Browse content similar to Episode 2. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!

Transcript


LineFromTo

Bag snatches, robberies and street crimes.

0:00:020:00:03

According to the latest police figures,

0:00:030:00:05

more than 3,500 incidents of theft

0:00:050:00:08

are reported every day in the UK.

0:00:080:00:11

The bike had gone.

0:00:110:00:13

And I was absolutely gutted.

0:00:140:00:16

But what happens to our belongings when they're stolen?

0:00:160:00:19

Thief Trackers shows who takes them and where they go,

0:00:200:00:24

hiding trackers inside items like cameras, smartphones and bicycles...

0:00:240:00:29

..to trace their every move.

0:00:300:00:32

The thieves think they've got away with it

0:00:320:00:34

but we've got them under surveillance.

0:00:340:00:36

Using undercover footage, CCTV and tracking technology,

0:00:400:00:44

we'll get an insight into the criminal mind...

0:00:440:00:47

..and uncover the unseen journey

0:00:480:00:50

that our possessions take when they're stolen.

0:00:500:00:53

Today, the Thief Trackers undercover team

0:01:000:01:03

are on the trail of a stolen camera...

0:01:030:01:04

He's taken the bag.

0:01:040:01:06

..snatched by an opportunist thief who makes a quick getaway.

0:01:060:01:09

He's on a bike.

0:01:090:01:11

-Right.

-There he is.

-That's the bike right there.

0:01:110:01:13

Just keep following.

0:01:130:01:15

Plus, TV and West End star Tom Chambers falls victim

0:01:150:01:18

to unscrupulous motorbike thieves.

0:01:180:01:21

The bike had gone.

0:01:210:01:23

There is, you know, five-and-a-half grand

0:01:230:01:25

being driven off down the road.

0:01:250:01:26

But he's one step ahead of the crooks.

0:01:260:01:28

I phoned the police, I said,

0:01:280:01:30

"My bike's just been stolen but I know exactly where it is."

0:01:300:01:33

And a heartless burglar steals from charity...

0:01:330:01:37

We didn't know whether anybody else was still in the building,

0:01:370:01:41

which was a bit creepy.

0:01:410:01:43

..unaware he's been tagged by cutting-edge tracking technology.

0:01:430:01:47

But it was just so clear to see where they'd walked

0:01:470:01:50

and where they'd hidden and where they'd looked into the cashbox.

0:01:500:01:55

It's not a nice feeling.

0:01:550:01:57

The UK is one of the top tourist destinations in the world,

0:02:040:02:08

welcoming over 35 million visitors a year,

0:02:080:02:11

to enjoy our country's iconic sites.

0:02:110:02:13

But for unscrupulous criminals,

0:02:150:02:16

every visitor to Britain is a potential target.

0:02:160:02:20

Considering they spend almost £22 billion per year,

0:02:200:02:23

the tourist hot spots can provide rich pickings...

0:02:230:02:27

..as well as in busy transport hubs,

0:02:280:02:30

where people are coming and going on the trains, buses and tubes,

0:02:300:02:34

often in a hurry and not paying attention.

0:02:340:02:36

Helping the thief trackers with their investigation

0:02:390:02:42

is our specialist crime adviser Alex Stewart.

0:02:420:02:45

He was assigned to some of the toughest areas of London,

0:02:450:02:47

both on patrol and as an undercover officer,

0:02:470:02:50

in his time on the force with the Metropolitan Police.

0:02:500:02:53

From theft, to drugs, to violent crime,

0:02:530:02:56

he's seen what life is like on the streets.

0:02:560:02:58

Organised criminal gangs know what they're after and who to target,

0:03:010:03:04

often stealing to order.

0:03:040:03:06

Once stolen, these items are easily concealed

0:03:060:03:09

and then moved out of the area using

0:03:090:03:11

back streets or public transport.

0:03:110:03:14

They're then often sold for cash in second-hand shops,

0:03:140:03:17

or on the internet.

0:03:170:03:18

We fitted a GPS tracker into a camera.

0:03:200:03:23

We won't tell you where - that would give the game away -

0:03:230:03:25

but if it's stolen, we can track down the thieves

0:03:250:03:28

by following the signal on a phone tablet,

0:03:280:03:30

just like your car sat-nav.

0:03:300:03:32

Watching their every move is the Thief Trackers undercover team,

0:03:360:03:39

who will be mounting a covert surveillance operation.

0:03:390:03:42

For their safety, you won't see them,

0:03:420:03:45

but you'll hear their voices.

0:03:450:03:46

Keep your camera on these guys.

0:03:490:03:51

One of the undercover team gets into position

0:04:000:04:03

outside a cafe on a busy crossroads

0:04:030:04:06

with a camera bag by their feet no more than a few inches away.

0:04:060:04:10

Distracted by chatting on the phone and texting -

0:04:100:04:12

it's something we all do.

0:04:120:04:14

The tracker in the camera bag goes live.

0:04:150:04:17

Time to watch and wait.

0:04:170:04:19

OK, everyone. Here we go.

0:04:190:04:20

And it's not long before someone shows interest in the camera bag.

0:04:220:04:25

This guy has been hanging around for some time now.

0:04:380:04:41

He's grabbed the camera bag, but for some reason, he's changed his mind.

0:05:240:05:28

Still, it's likely there's more than one thief on these crowded streets

0:05:310:05:35

and it's not long before a different person

0:05:350:05:37

shows an interest in our camera bag with the tracker in it.

0:05:370:05:40

But not for long.

0:05:520:05:53

Later, the thief trackers are in pursuit...

0:06:340:06:37

We're following a tracker right now. They've a bag that's been stolen.

0:06:370:06:39

..tracking the thief as he makes his escape.

0:06:390:06:42

-There he is.

-Right there.

0:06:420:06:44

It doesn't matter how rich, poor or famous you are.

0:06:510:06:54

Criminals will steal from anyone, anywhere, at any time,

0:06:540:06:59

usually when you feel at your safest, at home or at work,

0:06:590:07:02

which is what happened to actor Tom Chambers.

0:07:020:07:04

Tom has been a regular face on British TV for many years,

0:07:060:07:09

most recognisable from his role as hospital registrar Sam Strachan

0:07:090:07:13

in Holby City.

0:07:130:07:14

I never had you down for a liar and a coward.

0:07:160:07:19

She rang you 20 times.

0:07:190:07:22

Was that not a clue that something was up?

0:07:220:07:24

-Didn't ring me 20 times.

-Oh, so she's lying now?

0:07:240:07:26

14. 14 times!

0:07:260:07:29

14 times!

0:07:290:07:31

Is that what it's going to be like for Grace?

0:07:310:07:33

You know, sink or swim, and sod the consequences?

0:07:330:07:36

Aside from acting, one of Tom's passions is his motorbike.

0:07:360:07:40

So, I've always been a bike lover, really.

0:07:410:07:44

When I was aged six, I grew up on an old farm

0:07:440:07:46

in Derbyshire and loved bikes.

0:07:460:07:50

So I ride my bike pretty much every day.

0:07:500:07:53

I do use it really as a workhorse.

0:07:530:07:54

It is my get-to-work when you know you've got to guarantee

0:07:540:07:57

to be somewhere on time.

0:07:570:07:59

So, since 1999 until 2009, I had a moped

0:08:000:08:05

and it was actually pinched a couple of times.

0:08:050:08:08

Then I moved out of London,

0:08:090:08:11

and that wasn't going to really work on the motorway,

0:08:110:08:14

so I got a big bike - lovely bike, Triumph Street Triple.

0:08:140:08:18

When you have something stolen, you do really lose the value

0:08:190:08:23

and it might be your love and joy, your pride.

0:08:230:08:27

It's more about the emotional attachment you have to the bike

0:08:270:08:31

and the other is the fact that you never get a full pay-out,

0:08:310:08:34

so I thought I'd like to try a tracker.

0:08:340:08:37

To protect his £5,500 bike, he turned to

0:08:380:08:42

one of the longest-established tracking companies out there.

0:08:420:08:44

I actually bought the company in 2004

0:08:440:08:47

and it was around about that time

0:08:470:08:50

that we started to really get into vehicle tracking.

0:08:500:08:54

We've got an in-house R&D facility.

0:08:540:08:58

We actually design the products here

0:08:580:09:01

and we manufacture the products here in the UK.

0:09:010:09:05

We would regard ourselves as one of the market leaders,

0:09:050:09:09

if not world leaders, in this technology.

0:09:090:09:11

A motorbike really is very stealable.

0:09:130:09:17

The Yamaha R1, Ducati Panigale,

0:09:170:09:22

Triumph Street Triple, which, in actual fact...

0:09:220:09:26

..is the motorcycle that one of our celebrity clients,

0:09:270:09:32

Tom Chambers, rides.

0:09:320:09:34

You know, these are things that have quite high value,

0:09:340:09:38

a lot of appeal, easy to move on, either for parts, or as a whole.

0:09:380:09:44

And having fitted a tracker,

0:09:440:09:45

Tom was impressed just how easy it was to operate.

0:09:450:09:49

If your bike starts to move, just move very slightly,

0:09:490:09:52

you get a text on your phone saying, "Your bike's moving."

0:09:520:09:56

It's immediate. Within seconds.

0:09:560:09:59

And his decision to fit a tracker proved invaluable

0:10:000:10:03

when he transferred his acting talents to the stage,

0:10:030:10:06

treading the boards in the West End,

0:10:060:10:08

starring in the Olivier award-winning adaptation

0:10:080:10:10

of Irving Berlin's Top Hat.

0:10:100:10:14

I had two shows to do in London.

0:10:140:10:16

I got on my bike, rode into town

0:10:160:10:18

and I had got lazy.

0:10:180:10:20

I'd got into the habit of not locking the bike up.

0:10:220:10:24

I had a really huge chain,

0:10:240:10:26

it was one of these chains that you just can't, you cannot bolt-cut.

0:10:260:10:30

I could park it right outside the stage door

0:10:300:10:33

and there's a camera as well.

0:10:330:10:35

Anyway, what do you do? You're at work every day

0:10:350:10:39

and you think, "Oh, I can't be bothered to spend 20 seconds

0:10:390:10:42

"just getting the lock and locking it up."

0:10:420:10:45

So, I do the matinee.

0:10:460:10:49

I get a text saying that "Your bike's moving."

0:10:500:10:53

And I thought,

0:10:550:10:56

"Hmm. I'll just check."

0:10:560:10:58

Went outside,

0:11:000:11:02

and the bike had gone.

0:11:020:11:04

And I was absolutely gutted.

0:11:060:11:09

You're heart's suddenly in your throat.

0:11:090:11:11

But then I heard it.

0:11:110:11:12

It was literally just there.

0:11:130:11:16

My knee-jerk reaction was to chase after it.

0:11:170:11:20

I ran down the road after the bike

0:11:200:11:24

and then I suddenly thought, "This isn't going to work."

0:11:240:11:27

It was just gone. Like that.

0:11:270:11:29

And then, of course, your heart is in your throat

0:11:300:11:33

and your stomach's turning, you're like...

0:11:330:11:35

There is, you know, five and a half grand

0:11:350:11:37

being driven off down the road.

0:11:370:11:38

I did literally think, "Please, please, let it work properly!"

0:11:380:11:42

But with a tracker on his bike,

0:11:450:11:46

Tom could track the GPS signal via an app on his phone.

0:11:460:11:51

Anyway, I immediately got onto my phone

0:11:510:11:53

and you can log in and then you can see exactly where it is.

0:11:530:11:57

And so I phoned the police and said,

0:11:570:11:59

"My bike's just been stolen, but I know exactly where it is."

0:11:590:12:02

And then, you do phone the tracking company

0:12:040:12:07

so that they themselves can monitor it.

0:12:070:12:10

By the time the police arrive at the Aldwych Theatre,

0:12:140:12:17

it had stopped moving.

0:12:170:12:18

About four, four-and-a-half miles to Girdlestone Walk,

0:12:180:12:23

it finally came to rest.

0:12:230:12:24

You know, we were then talking to the police.

0:12:240:12:27

And by which time, I had to get ready for the evening performance.

0:12:280:12:32

And luckily, one of the crew had a bike licence and all that

0:12:320:12:35

and so he said, "I'll go with the policeman

0:12:350:12:38

"and hopefully go and retrieve your bike."

0:12:380:12:40

When they got to within the area that it was saying,

0:12:430:12:46

it wasn't on the road,

0:12:460:12:47

so they did have to walk round the back of some housing.

0:12:470:12:50

Using Street Viewer, we were able to talk the guys in

0:12:500:12:53

to exactly where it was.

0:12:530:12:54

It was actually hidden round the back of some garages,

0:12:540:12:57

round the back of a building.

0:12:570:12:59

They were scanning the area to look around but he said

0:12:590:13:03

he just saw a bit of number plate having been covered up by a sheet.

0:13:030:13:07

It had taken them to within five feet.

0:13:080:13:11

When I got the text message to say,

0:13:130:13:15

"Don't worry, don't panic, we've got the bike",

0:13:150:13:18

I mean, it was literally just the best thing.

0:13:180:13:21

My bike was stolen and I had it back within two hours.

0:13:210:13:25

Next time, he wasn't so careless and chained up the bike in a garage.

0:13:260:13:31

But some time later, the tracker was called into action once more.

0:13:310:13:35

I had my bike at home, I had it in the garage.

0:13:350:13:38

I was just watching TV and I saw a text...

0:13:380:13:42

..saying that your bike had moved. I thought...

0:13:440:13:48

HE SIGHS

0:13:480:13:49

"I'll quickly go out and check." So I went out and checked

0:13:490:13:52

and it was still there.

0:13:520:13:53

I thought, "Oh, maybe...

0:13:540:13:56

"Don't know why, but anyway, it's fine."

0:13:560:13:59

Came back inside and then a couple of hours later,

0:13:590:14:01

I was just going to bed and it had...

0:14:010:14:04

It had gone off again.

0:14:040:14:05

I thought, "Hmm. Do I bother going again?

0:14:070:14:10

"Yeah, I will, I will. I'll go, I'll go."

0:14:100:14:12

Went out, in the garage, unlocked it...

0:14:120:14:15

And the bike had gone.

0:14:150:14:16

Could not believe it.

0:14:160:14:18

And the chain had gone as well!

0:14:180:14:19

I thought, "Oh, no, it's happened again."

0:14:220:14:24

Went onto the phone, logged in, found out exactly where it was,

0:14:240:14:28

phoned the police.

0:14:280:14:29

I gave them the coordinates and I said, "I'll meet you there."

0:14:290:14:31

The police did say, "Do not go anywhere near

0:14:340:14:37

"where you think your bike is until we get there."

0:14:370:14:40

And I did. I absolutely understood that.

0:14:400:14:43

You don't know what these people are going to be like.

0:14:440:14:48

I drove to the site and it was down an alleyway of garages.

0:14:480:14:53

Met the police there...

0:14:530:14:54

..and we were both looking at... on the map,

0:14:560:14:59

and we were just saying,

0:14:590:15:00

"Now, it's either that garage or that garage."

0:15:000:15:02

Luckily, there were some tiles loose

0:15:020:15:06

and the officer just climbed up to have a look in

0:15:060:15:10

and he could see that the bike was in there.

0:15:100:15:12

And also, luckily, the garage door was open as well,

0:15:120:15:15

so they were able to go in.

0:15:150:15:17

It was a really thrilling moment for me.

0:15:170:15:20

I was just utterly relieved that it had worked for a second time.

0:15:210:15:27

I mean, you spend £350 on the tracker,

0:15:280:15:32

but effectively, it's saved me over £10,000.

0:15:320:15:34

You've got one chance

0:15:360:15:38

and it's this tracker

0:15:380:15:40

and...it's worked.

0:15:400:15:41

Tracking technology can be invaluable when it comes to tracing

0:15:480:15:52

and retrieving your stolen belongings.

0:15:520:15:54

The Thief Trackers undercover team

0:15:540:15:56

are mounting our own surveillance operation.

0:15:560:15:59

Earlier on, one of the team set up

0:16:010:16:03

outside a cafe near a busy crossroads.

0:16:030:16:05

Our camera, fitted with a GPS tracker,

0:16:080:16:10

was in a bag by their feet,

0:16:100:16:12

no more than a few inches away.

0:16:120:16:14

They were distracted by chatting on the phone and texting.

0:16:160:16:19

It's something we all do.

0:16:190:16:20

The remaining thief trackers watched from nearby...

0:16:220:16:25

..as the suspect closed in and snatched the camera bag.

0:16:280:16:32

The thief took off down the street.

0:16:350:16:37

The undercover team gave chase.

0:16:390:16:41

He's on a bike. He is on a bike.

0:16:410:16:43

But the crook made his escape on a bicycle.

0:16:430:16:45

TRACKER BEEPS

0:16:580:17:02

OK, so we're following a tracker right now.

0:17:110:17:13

They've a bag that's been stolen.

0:17:130:17:15

Can we give you directions so you can follow it for us?

0:17:150:17:17

-If you tell me where you're going, yeah.

-Thank you, mate.

0:17:170:17:19

He is now in an estate.

0:17:190:17:21

Just off Page Street.

0:17:210:17:23

Marsham Street at the moment.

0:17:250:17:27

He's obviously still cycling.

0:17:270:17:28

At the moment he's on Dean Ryle Street.

0:17:300:17:32

In fact, you know where he's heading for, is Millbank.

0:17:320:17:35

He's crossing Lambeth Bridge.

0:17:360:17:38

OK, we're close. He's on the bridge. Definitely on the bridge.

0:17:410:17:45

Keep an eye out for a blue bike.

0:17:470:17:50

-There he is, there he is.

-That's him there.

0:17:530:17:54

The bike's right there.

0:17:540:17:56

So let's keep an eye on this guy.

0:17:560:17:58

Hold on to the cameras, boys.

0:17:580:18:00

Just keep following, just keep following.

0:18:020:18:04

I'm going to talk to this guy in a minute.

0:18:040:18:06

It's all right, he's on the main road still.

0:18:080:18:10

I see him. He took a left, up next to that blue pub up there.

0:18:130:18:16

See if you can get close to him.

0:18:160:18:18

I might put the window down and just talk to him from the car.

0:18:180:18:21

How would you feel about that, mate, if we got near him

0:18:210:18:24

and we put the window down and just spoke to him from the car?

0:18:240:18:27

-Do what you like.

-You don't mind?

-No.

0:18:270:18:29

They've seen the thief pass the bag to someone in a car.

0:18:400:18:43

But first, they're going to tackle the thief.

0:18:430:18:46

All right, here we go.

0:18:460:18:47

It's a potentially risky situation.

0:18:470:18:49

It's too dangerous to accuse the man of stealing.

0:18:510:18:54

He's taken the bag.

0:18:540:18:55

They're not the police.

0:18:550:18:56

They can only ask if he's SEEN their stolen camera bag.

0:18:560:19:00

-Yeah?

-Sorry to bother you, mate.

0:19:020:19:04

Yeah, yeah.

0:19:150:19:17

OK, mate. Thanks, man.

0:19:230:19:24

He's brazenly denied taking the camera

0:19:320:19:34

but they saw him pass it to someone in a car,

0:19:340:19:36

so they're going to challenge the driver.

0:19:360:19:38

SHE LAUGHS

0:19:570:19:59

She's denying all knowledge, so we can't push this any further.

0:20:020:20:05

But we know what she looks like

0:20:070:20:09

and can pass the unblurred footage to the police.

0:20:090:20:12

But the tracker is still live and shortly after our conversation,

0:20:150:20:18

the signal shows it's on the move again.

0:20:180:20:21

The speed indicates it's either in a car in traffic or possibly a bike

0:20:210:20:25

that travels just around the corner,

0:20:250:20:27

coming to a rest somewhere in a block of flats.

0:20:270:20:30

Here, the signal stays put.

0:20:300:20:32

It could be whoever has it now is lying low

0:20:320:20:35

as they know we're onto them.

0:20:350:20:36

20 minutes later, it moves off again

0:20:420:20:44

but this time at walking pace, heading north.

0:20:440:20:48

With their cover blown,

0:20:480:20:49

the thief trackers have had to withdraw,

0:20:490:20:51

so picking up the trail for us is our crime adviser, Alex Stewart.

0:20:510:20:55

For the next half an hour,

0:20:550:20:56

the tracker shows the camera bag zigzagging around the area,

0:20:560:21:00

before it ends up here, at this tube station,

0:21:000:21:03

and the signal goes dead.

0:21:030:21:06

Criminals often use the Tube network to get around,

0:21:060:21:08

because it provides them a quick getaway

0:21:080:21:11

and it's very difficult to follow them on it.

0:21:110:21:13

Half an hour later,

0:21:160:21:17

the signal surfaces at Oxford Circus Tube Station

0:21:170:21:21

and it's making its way through the back streets of the West End

0:21:210:21:24

but unfortunately, it's not long before the signal goes dead again.

0:21:240:21:28

The speed at which the camera left the area

0:21:300:21:32

shows how quickly our possessions can disappear.

0:21:320:21:35

It also demonstrate how gangs operate as a team,

0:21:350:21:38

using one person to steal an item and another to move it on.

0:21:380:21:42

Now, it doesn't surprise me that the camera ended up here

0:21:420:21:45

in the back streets of the West End,

0:21:450:21:47

where there are plenty of opportunities to sell it for cash.

0:21:470:21:51

It's likely the tracker has been discovered and destroyed

0:21:510:21:54

but we still have unblurred footage of the camera thief and his friend

0:21:540:21:57

and we're more than happy to share it with the police.

0:21:570:22:00

We often think of theft in terms of the emotional distress

0:22:070:22:10

at losing personal property,

0:22:100:22:12

but theft can hit businesses just as hard

0:22:120:22:15

and can be just as devastating,

0:22:150:22:17

as they discovered in the market town

0:22:170:22:19

of Ludlow in Shropshire.

0:22:190:22:20

With its close-knit community and scenic views,

0:22:240:22:26

it's not the sort place you would expect a crimewave.

0:22:260:22:30

But all that changed when local businesses

0:22:300:22:33

were being targeted by thieves.

0:22:330:22:35

Last year, we had in excess of 20 burglaries

0:22:350:22:38

and actually, the number of burglaries we'd had was having

0:22:380:22:41

a significant impact on the town

0:22:410:22:43

and we were unable to identify who the suspects were.

0:22:430:22:46

We had increased patrols in the evenings and at night

0:22:460:22:49

to try and identify them

0:22:490:22:51

but we haven't fallen lucky to actually catch them in the act.

0:22:510:22:54

Because the crooks were still at large,

0:22:540:22:57

local businesses were concerned that they could be next.

0:22:570:23:01

This included the Assembly Rooms,

0:23:010:23:03

a community hub in the centre of Ludlow.

0:23:030:23:06

They were becoming well aware of the thieves

0:23:060:23:08

who were striking in the dead of night.

0:23:080:23:10

Every week in the local paper,

0:23:120:23:14

there were another two or three reported

0:23:140:23:17

and we started becoming

0:23:170:23:18

worried and concerned.

0:23:180:23:20

We are a huge old building

0:23:230:23:26

with three separate staircases and it's very complex,

0:23:260:23:30

and we thought, well, you know,

0:23:300:23:32

we could be hit and that would be terrible.

0:23:320:23:34

The building sees up to 200,000 visitors each year,

0:23:360:23:39

and with a bar, shop and theatre situated inside,

0:23:390:23:43

the daily cash takings made them a potential victim.

0:23:430:23:47

And so, they turned to the police for some protection.

0:23:480:23:52

It's incredibly difficult,

0:23:520:23:54

when suspects are targeting businesses

0:23:540:23:57

or properties at night,

0:23:570:23:58

to fall lucky and find them committing the offence.

0:23:580:24:02

The Assembly Halls was a property that we believe may be targeted.

0:24:050:24:08

It's a very popular location with a bar.

0:24:080:24:11

Monies and other items are stored here overnight.

0:24:110:24:15

We installed a SmartWater spray system,

0:24:150:24:18

which in essence is a burglar alarm, but attached to that is a spray.

0:24:180:24:22

When someone breaks in, a silent alarm goes off

0:24:220:24:24

and whoever's in the premises gets sprayed with a liquid.

0:24:240:24:28

This water contains a dye that is invisible to the human eye

0:24:280:24:33

and only becomes visible when shown under a UV light.

0:24:330:24:36

It also contains a unique DNA marking code

0:24:400:24:43

which can track criminals and link them to the scene of a crime.

0:24:430:24:47

And, I mean, I'd never heard of SmartWater

0:24:470:24:50

and I just couldn't believe what it really was and how it would work.

0:24:500:24:55

When closing up one night,

0:24:580:25:00

Helen was about to find out exactly how it worked,

0:25:000:25:04

as someone had decided to hang about.

0:25:040:25:07

The suspect was caught on CCTV.

0:25:100:25:13

He then walked freely around the property,

0:25:130:25:15

looking for items to take.

0:25:150:25:17

The unsuspecting burglar wasn't aware he was being tracked -

0:25:200:25:23

not only on CCTV, but also by the SmartWater trap

0:25:230:25:27

which was about to be triggered.

0:25:270:25:29

The suspect took his shoes off,

0:25:310:25:33

cos he didn't want us to be able to link any footwear marks

0:25:330:25:36

that had been left here to his particular footwear

0:25:360:25:39

and therefore, us be able to prosecute him on the basis of that.

0:25:390:25:42

I came in the morning,

0:25:450:25:46

it was quite obvious that we'd been broken into...

0:25:460:25:50

..and the SmartWater had been set off.

0:25:540:25:57

Money had gone from the till and an iPad.

0:25:570:26:01

We didn't at that point know whether

0:26:020:26:05

anybody else was still in the building,

0:26:050:26:07

which was a bit creepy.

0:26:070:26:09

And with the burglar sprayed with the unique liquid,

0:26:090:26:13

the police began looking at the trail of clues left behind.

0:26:130:26:17

The forensics officer could tell

0:26:200:26:23

exactly where the burglar had taken off his shoes

0:26:230:26:28

and she tracked the footprints.

0:26:280:26:32

And it was the way they glowed in the dark, it was just so clear.

0:26:330:26:37

To be able to see something that,

0:26:390:26:41

with the lights on, there's nothing there at all...

0:26:410:26:45

..to then imagine that somebody

0:26:460:26:49

who's been going around your building,

0:26:490:26:53

poking their nose into things, and to see where they'd walked,

0:26:530:26:58

and where they'd hidden, and where they'd looked into the cashbox,

0:26:580:27:02

it's not a nice feeling.

0:27:020:27:05

The SmartWater spray in this case

0:27:090:27:12

was vital for us to be able to obtain a prosecution.

0:27:120:27:16

As you can see from the photographs here,

0:27:160:27:18

the fluorescent yellow-green marking across the floor

0:27:180:27:22

at the business that had been broken into

0:27:220:27:24

quite clearly shows that one person was in there,

0:27:240:27:27

who committed the offence,

0:27:270:27:29

and the SmartWater was able to link us to that individual.

0:27:290:27:32

A number of our enquiries were with some local nominals

0:27:340:27:40

that we deal with on a regular basis,

0:27:400:27:42

so we simply visited those to see

0:27:420:27:44

if they were marked with the SmartWater

0:27:440:27:46

from this particular offence.

0:27:460:27:48

The suspect was caught within 24 hours.

0:27:480:27:51

We were able to then take them into custody...

0:27:510:27:53

..and then prosecute him for the offence.

0:27:540:27:57

I think I felt very relieved for us

0:28:010:28:03

but also very relieved for the whole town.

0:28:030:28:06

I suppose we felt we'd done a sort of civic duty, if you like,

0:28:070:28:11

by being the people that had stopped him.

0:28:110:28:14

Download Subtitles

SRT

ASS