0:00:02 > 0:00:05Thieves will steal our cars, our valuables,
0:00:05 > 0:00:10just about anything they can get their hands on.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13To cut down on crime and antisocial behaviour, the police are now
0:00:13 > 0:00:18using new tactics, where the bad guys actually get caught in the act.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21They are launching covert operations...
0:00:21 > 0:00:25Keep pretending you are talking on the phone for a bit longer, OK, mate?
0:00:25 > 0:00:26..and setting clever traps...
0:00:26 > 0:00:29The laptop he is about to steal is equipped with a tracking device.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31..that deliver unsuspecting crooks...
0:00:31 > 0:00:33Go, go, go.
0:00:33 > 0:00:34..right into their hands.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36And there are also ways that we the public
0:00:36 > 0:00:41and local businesses can fight back with some tricks of our own.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44I weren't going to sit back and let them do this.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46We have caught you and we are sending you down.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50So, anyone who is up to no good had better think twice.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52They might just get caught red-handed.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04Coming up today on Caught Red Handed,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07the motorbike this pair are trying to steal doesn't work
0:01:07 > 0:01:11but the police camera recording their every move does work.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14They have no idea that we know they're breaking into the garage
0:01:14 > 0:01:17and we know we can track it.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Also today, a unlikely car vandal is unmasked.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23You're sort of in shock. You're holding your hand over your mouth,
0:01:23 > 0:01:25going, "I can't believe it."
0:01:25 > 0:01:28And in Derbyshire, a puppy cam.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30It was meant to keep an eye on a young dog
0:01:30 > 0:01:33but caught a couple of rats too.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43But first, a police operation in the West Midlands that's targeting
0:01:43 > 0:01:46drug abuse and antisocial behaviour.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48All over the country, there is a problem with large
0:01:48 > 0:01:52gatherings of youths hanging around particular areas of
0:01:52 > 0:01:55town centres, council estates and shopping precincts.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59It can frighten off people going around their normal business.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03Gangs and more serious crime can take a hold and, at worst,
0:02:03 > 0:02:05they can become no-go areas.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09But in the West Midlands,
0:02:09 > 0:02:11we are about to see the police fighting back.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16My name is Mark Bellingham, I'm a sergeant from the gangs team.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18If I just give you a little bit of background.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21We are currently looking at a group called the Raiders.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25They predominantly have their footprint in the West Bromwich area.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28However, there is a footprint within the Birmingham South area
0:02:28 > 0:02:30and the Kings Norton area.
0:02:31 > 0:02:36Sergeant Mark Bellingham is part of a special gangs task force.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39He is planning a surprise raid on a shopping precinct
0:02:39 > 0:02:41in the Kings Norton area.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43It looks innocent enough but local residents have
0:02:43 > 0:02:47complained about incidents of violence and intimidation.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Some have been choosing to stay away from the shops rather than
0:02:50 > 0:02:53run the gauntlet past the youths, some of whom people
0:02:53 > 0:02:57report are drug-running and attacking passers-by.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02This local man is too afraid of reprisals to be identified.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05But he says he speaks for many in the area.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38Police have had enough and they are taking action.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42The youths are unaware of it but the square is being watched.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46Inside this ordinary-looking white van is an undercover police officer.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48We have to hide her identity.
0:03:48 > 0:03:53She has taken control of the council's nearby CCTV cameras and
0:03:53 > 0:03:58for the next few days she will be recording every move in the square.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01We can move the camera 360 degrees,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04we can zoom in, we can zoom out and capture faces.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09We can take still photos from the footage or, obviously,
0:04:09 > 0:04:13we can record it as well as video evidence.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16Mark is studying the footage from the cameras in the square.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20As you can start to see now, these two lads here who, again,
0:04:20 > 0:04:24are larking around but you've got to ask yourself the question -
0:04:24 > 0:04:29would you walk past that? Would you be happy enough to walk through that?
0:04:29 > 0:04:32And if you were driving past and thought you needed a shop,
0:04:32 > 0:04:34would you stop there?
0:04:34 > 0:04:38The cameras have caught more than just antisocial behaviour.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41This next snippet, there's a deal.
0:04:41 > 0:04:46You have got the lad with two bags either being handed money or drugs.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48There is that furtive look round the shoulder. He was looking,
0:04:48 > 0:04:50he was checking it out.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53We have all been kids once and we have all hung around
0:04:53 > 0:04:57and in the grand scheme of things, why should we stop that?
0:04:57 > 0:04:59In fact, we want to encourage our kids to socialise
0:04:59 > 0:05:03and have friends and be able to kind of let off some steam.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07It is when it starts to cross that boundary into
0:05:07 > 0:05:11criminality that we have to be quite robust in trying to minimise
0:05:11 > 0:05:14that harm that's caused to the community.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19As well as chasing down gang leaders, the task force also
0:05:19 > 0:05:23sets out to prevent youngsters from joining gangs in the first place.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26While we will look to drive enforcement,
0:05:26 > 0:05:30we will also be looking at getting talks into schools,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33certainly those schools that have been identified as having those kids
0:05:33 > 0:05:35that are starting to aspire to that gang.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39Mark's team and local officers are getting ready to swoop.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42They aim to speak to all the youths within the square.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44You guys are going to come round from the two sides.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47What we want to do is make sure that between the rest of us
0:05:47 > 0:05:49we have got the alleyway...
0:05:49 > 0:05:52One of the alleyways covered from the opposite side
0:05:52 > 0:05:53and the other open side.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56Their eye on the square, the officer in the white van
0:05:56 > 0:05:58is waiting for youths to arrive on the scene.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02As soon as she spots them, she will alert Mark.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04If I was one of them, I would be running away from the police,
0:06:04 > 0:06:08which means they should be running straight into you guys.
0:06:08 > 0:06:09Go, go, go. Go, go, go.
0:06:09 > 0:06:14Later, it's a shock for the kids on the block as Mark's team crashes in.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26We may spend a lot of time and money securing our houses
0:06:26 > 0:06:29but we often overlook our sheds and garages.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33Go into your garage and look at the items in there and add it all up.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36I've got my lawnmower, I've got my petrol strimmer,
0:06:36 > 0:06:38my petrol hedge-cutter.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42It would be really surprising to see how valuable your items are.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46And yet most of us have only got a flimsy padlock, if that,
0:06:46 > 0:06:48to safeguard our valued possessions.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54One man in Gateshead knows all about what it is like to
0:06:54 > 0:06:57suffer at the hands of garage-raiders.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00When Leon Thompson came to buying his first home,
0:07:00 > 0:07:04he admits it wasn't particularly the location that attracted him.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07When I viewed the house, I seen there was graffiti on the outside
0:07:07 > 0:07:10so I knew it wasn't the best place but this was the biggest house
0:07:10 > 0:07:13I could afford for the money I had at the time.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15Right from the kick-off, there was trouble.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17I had a housewarming party...
0:07:19 > 0:07:21..and there were some lads,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24probably 8 to 10 of them, walking past the house.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28They were wanting to be in for the party. My mates told them to jog on.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31They weren't happy with that so they ended up battering
0:07:31 > 0:07:34my friend in and he ended up losing teeth out of it.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38This was just before Christmas, so Leon's worried mum decided it
0:07:38 > 0:07:41wasn't going to be socks and aftershave this year.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43She actually bought the CCTV for Christmas.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47It immediately proves useful when Leon has other party.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49Everyone had brought drink except for this guy,
0:07:49 > 0:07:52who was bringing his girlfriend as well.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55I woke up in the morning, he was gone.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57Went into the kitchen, all the alcohol we had there,
0:07:57 > 0:07:58spirit bottles, all gone.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Leon checks the footage from his new camera.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03Sure enough, him and his girlfriend,
0:08:03 > 0:08:06it's them walking out of the house, hands full, all the bottles
0:08:06 > 0:08:09they could carry, going into the car and then driving home.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Leon decided to shame the booze-burglars publicly
0:08:12 > 0:08:15by putting the film up on the internet.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17Everyone could see what he was getting up to.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21I have seen the guy since. We don't really get on that well.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23But the worst theft was about to come.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26Luckily, Leon's garage cam is rolling.
0:08:28 > 0:08:3220-to-1 in the morning and while Leon is sound asleep upstairs,
0:08:32 > 0:08:37through the hole in the fence two hooded figures slink into view.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41Leon hasn't got a door yet on his newly-built garage,
0:08:41 > 0:08:46so entry is a doddle. They make for Leon's expensive motorbikes.
0:08:46 > 0:08:51They quickly uncover one but just when it all looks too easy for them,
0:08:51 > 0:08:53they are confronted with a serious chain,
0:08:53 > 0:08:57bolting the bikes to the garage floor.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00So is that it? They've given up?
0:09:00 > 0:09:01No.
0:09:01 > 0:09:0540 minutes later, they are back with a huge pair of bolt cutters,
0:09:05 > 0:09:10which unfortunately make short shrift of Leon's chain.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13One of them uses their phone light to work out how to start the bike,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16ready for a quick getaway on the road.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19My blood was boiling when I first seen this. I was shaking.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21I just wanted to go out and find them.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24There is a pit there which I was hoping he'd fall down.
0:09:24 > 0:09:25Unfortunately he didn't.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29Leon hadn't been able to afford an insurance policy
0:09:29 > 0:09:32that covered theft, so his loss was total.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35When I bought the bike, it was actually, other than the house,
0:09:35 > 0:09:39the most expensive thing that I have ever bought. I was absolutely gutted.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43He handed this CCTV footage over to the police
0:09:43 > 0:09:47and waited in hope that they would be able to get his bike back.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49But sadly, they never did.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52I am massively angry at everyone who has stolen off me
0:09:52 > 0:09:54cos it's happened a lot of times.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57I wouldn't like to bump into them in the street. Well, actually, I would.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59They wouldn't want to bump into me, I don't think.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02But there are some consolations.
0:10:02 > 0:10:07Word looks to have got around about his CCTV system as he has had
0:10:07 > 0:10:09no further trouble for six months
0:10:09 > 0:10:12and his cameras have benefited others too.
0:10:12 > 0:10:17There was a woman who lives opposite in a bungalow and she had some
0:10:17 > 0:10:21conmen come over to her house saying they were there to check the gas
0:10:21 > 0:10:24and they went in and ended up going into her bedroom
0:10:24 > 0:10:27and stealing her money that she had hidden.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31The police later came round to my house, asking for any footage
0:10:31 > 0:10:34and, from this footage, they did end up getting prosecuted.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48To help prevent garage thefts like Leon's,
0:10:48 > 0:10:51down in East Sussex, Inspector Paul Phelps is trying out
0:10:51 > 0:10:55a new way of catching thieves by luring them in.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Every day, someone's garage was getting broken into.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00We'd done a number of other tactics,
0:11:00 > 0:11:02lots of hi-vis patrols, we worked with the community
0:11:02 > 0:11:05but we weren't actually reducing those offences.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08So we've got bait cars we've had for a number of years, actually,
0:11:08 > 0:11:10why don't we have a bait garage?
0:11:10 > 0:11:12So, how to set up a bait garage.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16Step one - choose an area where crime is on the rise.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20This garage was identified as being an ideal location.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23A number of garages have been broken into in that vicinity over
0:11:23 > 0:11:25a number of weeks.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27Next, put something in your garage
0:11:27 > 0:11:29that a would-be thief will want to take out.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32This is exactly the sort of bike that we would use.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35It would be disabled, that you can't ride it.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37Then, however your thief moves the bike,
0:11:37 > 0:11:40make sure they can be followed.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43Transmitters these days are so, so small.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45Tiny enough to fit in a matchbox.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Secrete this transmitter
0:11:47 > 0:11:49so it is not readily accessible by the would-be thief.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53The garage is then rigged with hidden cameras that start
0:11:53 > 0:11:56recording when motion is detected and a trigger on the door.
0:11:56 > 0:12:01When it's opened, an alert is sent to a police mobile phone.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03We haven't got to be staffing an observation point
0:12:03 > 0:12:06for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
0:12:06 > 0:12:07We let technology work for us.
0:12:07 > 0:12:12Now, trap set, Paul's team sit back and wait for the action.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15The garage went live in the afternoon.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19By the following afternoon, our motorcycle had been stolen.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21They didn't have to wait long.
0:12:21 > 0:12:27Just 24 hours after the garage is set up, two hooded figures arrive.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30Over the next few minutes, they try to get the bike started,
0:12:30 > 0:12:35unaware it has been disabled and unaware they are being filmed.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38Even though they can't get it started,
0:12:38 > 0:12:42this pair still decide this bike's worth nicking.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44Having checked the coast is clear,
0:12:44 > 0:12:46they are now wheeling it off into the sunset.
0:12:46 > 0:12:47Or so they think.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50They have got no idea that we have got them on camera, that we
0:12:50 > 0:12:54know they have broken into the garage and we know we can track it.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57The police followed the signal and the two miscreants had
0:12:57 > 0:13:01a nasty surprise when the officers came knocking.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03They showed them the video's evidence
0:13:03 > 0:13:04and asked for their bike back.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07It's quite compelling evidence really, isn't it?
0:13:07 > 0:13:09You're caught with the goods and you are on video doing it.
0:13:09 > 0:13:10It's case closed.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13The two thieves were juveniles and had no previous record,
0:13:13 > 0:13:17so both received an official caution with a warning of a harsher
0:13:17 > 0:13:20sentence if they were caught doing wrong again.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26For police, in the past, these operations used to involve
0:13:26 > 0:13:31lengthy stakeouts and considerable manpower. Not any more.
0:13:31 > 0:13:36We can run 10, 15 bait operations at the same time because,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39actually, technology does all the work for us.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42And it's not just bait garages thieves have to look out for.
0:13:42 > 0:13:48We have gone to bait bicycles, you know, bait beach huts, you know,
0:13:48 > 0:13:51bait caravans. We are everywhere. We are doing this on a daily basis.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55So think about what you're doing because, actually, you could be
0:13:55 > 0:13:58on camera, we could be watching you, we could be tracking you.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00The message is don't do it.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07So, thieves everywhere, you have been warned.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10And still to come on today's Caught Red Handed,
0:14:10 > 0:14:13a neighbourhood dispute gets messy.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17She's got a cup of flour and just thrown it all over my car
0:14:17 > 0:14:19and then with what was left in the cup
0:14:19 > 0:14:22she has thrown it on my neighbour's car as well.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26And also, a farmer, a tractor and a hold-up.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30But this time it is the getaway car that gets held up.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40We see a lot of CCTV cameras around these days
0:14:40 > 0:14:44but not everybody is using them to guard against crime.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47Some people have them to keep an eye on their pets.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49But even those can catch a thief.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00In Derbyshire, there is a dog called Molly. She lives here.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05The two men currently trying to bust through the door don't.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09The reason there is a camera in the kitchen is that the homeowner
0:15:09 > 0:15:14wants to keep tabs on Molly, his new boxer puppy, while he is at work.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18Little did he know, it would capture these burglars calmly strolling
0:15:18 > 0:15:23in while Molly - lovely temperament, useless guard dog - watches on.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Thankfully, the home's alarm proves more effective
0:15:26 > 0:15:28and the pair scarper empty-handed.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32But with their faces caught on camera,
0:15:32 > 0:15:34they were...
0:15:34 > 0:15:36"collared" by police the next day.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40And Molly, no doubt, was booked in for some guard dog lessons.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51Back to Kings Norton, West Midlands,
0:15:51 > 0:15:55where the police are using CCTV cameras in a bid to clear
0:15:55 > 0:15:59a shopping precinct of drugs and antisocial behaviour.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01With its many cameras,
0:16:01 > 0:16:05Britain is sometimes dubbed a surveillance society but in the eyes
0:16:05 > 0:16:10of the police, they are there not to watch us but to watch out for us.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Antisocial behaviour and groups of youths
0:16:13 > 0:16:16hanging around the streets can really frighten people.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19We use CCTV as a preventative and a reassurance tool
0:16:19 > 0:16:23but it does actually help us in combating antisocial behaviour
0:16:23 > 0:16:25and bringing offenders to justice.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30Gangs of youths, some of whom are linked to drug-dealing
0:16:30 > 0:16:33in this square, are about to get a wake-up call.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38Sergeant Mark Bellingham and his gangs task force team
0:16:38 > 0:16:41are preparing to swoop down on the square.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44They will make arrests if they find drugs but the raid is also
0:16:44 > 0:16:49designed to send a strong message to the youths that antisocial
0:16:49 > 0:16:53behaviour won't be tolerated and the police are on their case.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56An undercover officer has been watching the square closely and will
0:16:56 > 0:16:58let Mark's team know when
0:16:58 > 0:17:01a number of youths have gathered on the square.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04We are looking for specific people to be in the location,
0:17:04 > 0:17:06specific activity as well.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10And then we will make the call to Mark to go ahead with the operation.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14Once you are in there, same plan as before.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17I'll give you a ring once we've stopped short and you can say,
0:17:17 > 0:17:18"Yeah, go."
0:17:18 > 0:17:20Mark's unit, along with local officers,
0:17:20 > 0:17:23make up the strike team of 15.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26The plan is to approach the square rapidly on all sides
0:17:26 > 0:17:27and surround the youths.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29We are starting to hit prime time now
0:17:29 > 0:17:32so probably from four o'clock onwards will be playtime.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34There's a couple of youngsters
0:17:34 > 0:17:36the team are particularly interested to meet.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38I have actually just seen them
0:17:38 > 0:17:42walking down one of the walkways, headed towards the square.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46What direction were they going in?
0:17:46 > 0:17:48'We are pretty much ready to go.'
0:17:48 > 0:17:51So we will be striking in the next 5, 10 minutes.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Two undercover officers have gone ahead.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56They're already in one of the shops.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59OK, mate, I'll tell you what, we are on our way.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03Keep pretending you're talking on the phone for a bit longer, OK, mate?
0:18:04 > 0:18:08Will do. Will do when we're in position.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11- INTERVIEWER:- Didn't the phone call give it away, who they were?
0:18:11 > 0:18:17No, no, we have worked on some fairly basic code
0:18:17 > 0:18:19that the flooring people are on their way.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22They make the short journey to the square.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Mark gives the signal to his team.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37Go, go, go. Go, go, go.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39Here we go. Here we go.
0:18:45 > 0:18:50All right there, chaps. How are you doing? You all right?
0:18:50 > 0:18:51Chaps, you're going to wait with us.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54We'll be doing drug searches with you guys, OK?
0:18:54 > 0:18:56- So you guys will be standing with us.- Drug search?
0:18:56 > 0:18:59- Have you got anything on you you shouldn't have?- No.- OK, great.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02Can I ask you, everything you've got in your pockets,
0:19:02 > 0:19:04just start getting it out now for us?
0:19:06 > 0:19:07OK.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13That's great. Anything else? Just give us your keys, sunshine.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15No-one escapes. They are all searched.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18I'll give you all the reasons why you're being searched, OK.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20Basically, the area is known for having quite a bit of drugs around.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23You know the place. You know what the score is, don't you?
0:19:23 > 0:19:25Because we have had continuing reports about drug use,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28drug-dealing, that kind of stuff, that's why we are all here
0:19:28 > 0:19:30and we're going to do a search of the place.
0:19:30 > 0:19:31The youngsters now know
0:19:31 > 0:19:36the police are taking illegal activities on the square seriously.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39We have got to work out... I'm going to sort out in a minute,
0:19:39 > 0:19:42that we might have to do strip searches.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45The police will be watching to stop the area becoming
0:19:45 > 0:19:49a focus for antisocial behaviour and drug-taking.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Because people are saying and moaning and complaining
0:19:52 > 0:19:54about drugs around the area, it is
0:19:54 > 0:19:57going to bring more attention and bring more attention from us.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59So, today, if we keep getting reports of it there'll just be
0:19:59 > 0:20:02more of us around and we'll keep stopping and searching
0:20:02 > 0:20:04and at some point, if you have got something on you,
0:20:04 > 0:20:05you're going to get locked up.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07Since this raid on the square,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10West Midlands police have made eight arrests,
0:20:10 > 0:20:12four of them for dealing.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14Ultimately, they run the risk of getting locked up.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17They run the risk of going to prison.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21And then it is very difficult to turn back that clock
0:20:21 > 0:20:23and go down a different path
0:20:23 > 0:20:28so my message would be that there are people out there who can help.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31If people are getting themselves into situations that are probably
0:20:31 > 0:20:33a little bit beyond them and situations
0:20:33 > 0:20:37they can no longer control, there is help out there to assist
0:20:37 > 0:20:39people to get away from that gang lifestyle.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55There are lots of examples on the internet of ordinary people
0:20:55 > 0:20:58catching criminals red-handed.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01Here is a bizarre example from Norway.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03This is 66-year-old Harald Mikkelsen.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07He may look calm but he is actually in the process of
0:21:07 > 0:21:10stopping a getaway car after a robbery attempt
0:21:10 > 0:21:12in a slightly unusual fashion.
0:21:16 > 0:21:21This scene came about after Harald here interrupted an intruder
0:21:21 > 0:21:23trying to break into his store.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26The would-be thief ran off to his car.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29Harald ran off to his nearby tractor
0:21:29 > 0:21:31and before the would-be thief could drive off,
0:21:31 > 0:21:35Harald rammed the car and has used his tractor's hydraulic forks
0:21:35 > 0:21:39to lift the car's front wheels off the ground.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43It was at this point that this passer-by started filming.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49Looking like some kind of bug trying to wriggle free
0:21:49 > 0:21:52from the clutches of a mechanical praying mantis,
0:21:52 > 0:21:54the thief inside the car
0:21:54 > 0:21:58spins his wheels and tries turning the steering wheel back and forth.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02In the end, he gives up struggling and accepts his fate.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10Then the police arrive and Harald is finally ready to end the hold-up and
0:22:10 > 0:22:14give them one of the easiest arrests they will ever have to perform.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26Most crimes are committed by young people aged 16 to 25,
0:22:26 > 0:22:29but there are offenders of all ages.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31Even pensioners.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34It seems some people still aren't old enough to know better,
0:22:34 > 0:22:36as we are about to see.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47This street in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire
0:22:47 > 0:22:50may look quiet now but an argument over this piece of land
0:22:50 > 0:22:53led to the neighbourhood turning nasty.
0:22:56 > 0:23:01On the CCTV, I was absolutely shocked.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05This actual video footage revealed an unlikely offender and
0:23:05 > 0:23:09brought an end to a bitter dispute that had raged for over a year.
0:23:12 > 0:23:13Absolutely beautiful.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20Claire has lived in this house for 16 years.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23The front now looks like this, with an extension being built.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26But back then it looked a bit more like this.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29When I first bought the house,
0:23:29 > 0:23:34the plot of land adjacent to the house was not maintained,
0:23:34 > 0:23:38the trees were overgrown, cars would just park up and down.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40The land at the front of her house
0:23:40 > 0:23:43and alongside her garden was no man's land.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Meaning it legally belonged to nobody.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49The problem for Claire was that the neighbours' cars were often
0:23:49 > 0:23:52parked right across her front door.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55We put parking outside our own front door.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58We spoke to everyone, we block-paved it
0:23:58 > 0:24:02so it was nice and clean and it made everything look much nicer.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05Claire said she also created a couple of extra spaces
0:24:05 > 0:24:08for the neighbourhood in general by cutting back
0:24:08 > 0:24:11the overgrown shrubs and trees of the no man's land.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14She continued to maintain it for the next 12 years.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16Because she did this,
0:24:16 > 0:24:20she was eventually entitled to claim a piece of the land as her own.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23There is a period of time, which is 12 years,
0:24:23 > 0:24:25before you can actually put it into your own name.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27But not everybody saw it that way.
0:24:27 > 0:24:33I had moved my garden fence out. That's when it all started.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35Some people in the neighbourhood took exception
0:24:35 > 0:24:37and officially petitioned to block her plan.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Other residents, including Diane, who lives a few
0:24:40 > 0:24:43doors down from Claire, supported her right to the land.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47Claire spent many of her hours out there, clearing up rubbish,
0:24:47 > 0:24:51- old bottles, tyres...- Yeah, everything got thrown on the drive.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55..dog fouling. You know, really made it look pretty.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58The council ruled in Claire's favour
0:24:58 > 0:25:01and, shortly afterwards, a spate of vandalism broke out.
0:25:02 > 0:25:07First of all, we noticed that cars were...
0:25:07 > 0:25:11Aerials were being taken off, cars were being keyed, scratched.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18Fed up, Claire decided to invest in extra protection.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21I got the cameras because I thought, "This is ridiculous."
0:25:21 > 0:25:23Every time I phoned the police with another
0:25:23 > 0:25:27bit of damage on my car - "Have you got any witnesses?" "No."
0:25:27 > 0:25:30Experiencing the same problem, her close neighbours
0:25:30 > 0:25:34clubbed together with Claire to install four cameras on her house.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36Because then it would point in different directions
0:25:36 > 0:25:39to help out the community as well.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42Designed to record whenever they detected motion,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45it didn't take the cameras long to catch something.
0:25:49 > 0:25:50Early one morning,
0:25:50 > 0:25:54Claire had an unpleasant surprise as she left for work.
0:25:54 > 0:25:55I've got into the car
0:25:55 > 0:25:59and I've put the windscreen wipers on to clear it a bit better.
0:25:59 > 0:26:04It started going a bit gloopy so I realised it wasn't just ice.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08I parked up in the car park at the High Street
0:26:08 > 0:26:11and, as I came out of the car, I turned round to have a
0:26:11 > 0:26:14look at the bonnet and it was smothered in white gunk.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17Claire couldn't leave work so she asked
0:26:17 > 0:26:20if Diane could let herself in with a spare key
0:26:20 > 0:26:24and take a look at the CCTV footage to see what had gone on.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26This is what she saw.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32A hooded, cigarette-smoking figure throws what seems like white powder
0:26:32 > 0:26:37over Claire's car and then another neighbour's before strolling off.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40I did actually say to you, didn't I, "You're not going to believe this"?
0:26:40 > 0:26:44I had to rewind it about three or four times.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46But it wasn't the offence that left Diane dumbfounded,
0:26:46 > 0:26:48it was the offender.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52You are holding your hand over your mouth going, "I can't believe it."
0:26:52 > 0:26:55Hidden under the hood is a churchgoing grandmother who
0:26:55 > 0:26:59is also the coordinator of a local neighbourhood watch.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03She has got a cup of flour and just thrown it all over my car
0:27:03 > 0:27:06and then with what was left in the cup she has thrown it on my
0:27:06 > 0:27:10neighbour's car as well and then just walked back into her own house.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14The fact that the woman was filmed entering her front door meant
0:27:14 > 0:27:17that when Claire handed over the footage to the police,
0:27:17 > 0:27:21they decided they had more than enough to arrest the flour-thrower.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25I was told by the police that she denied it up until they said,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28"Well, we've got CCTV footage and it is you."
0:27:28 > 0:27:31And that is when she said, "Oh, I'm sorry."
0:27:31 > 0:27:34The woman was given an official caution by the police
0:27:34 > 0:27:37and was eventually forced to pay compensation to Claire for
0:27:37 > 0:27:40the irreparable damage to her soft-top roof.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43Eventually, the flour-flinging woman
0:27:43 > 0:27:45moved out of the area completely.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47I think she was embarrassed
0:27:47 > 0:27:51because she was a very well-respected lady amongst the community.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53Now that things have calmed down,
0:27:53 > 0:27:57Claire has dared to start extending her house while her cameras
0:27:57 > 0:28:00continue to keep an eye on her and her neighbour's property.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03It has definitely brought us together as a community
0:28:03 > 0:28:05and we are looking out for each other.
0:28:08 > 0:28:09Love thy neighbour.
0:28:09 > 0:28:10Join us next time,
0:28:10 > 0:28:14when the police and the public catch more crooks red-handed.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd