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Ten arrests in police operation

Details have emerged of an Island-wide police operation targeting burglary over the Christmas period.

Operation Freestyle involved undercover police and officers from every neighbourhood division.

The five week crackdown, which ended last Monday, is described as an intelligence-led, pro-active police initiative.

The scale of the operation is now emerging: more than 100 targeted patrols were carried out, many of them overnight, throughout the festive period.

These were aimed at detering potential thieves and identifying insecure or vulnerable premises.

Officers were also encouraged to use their stop and search powers as a deterrent and issued a leaflet to a number of individuals, warning them they were 'of interest' to the force.

In the same five week period in 2008, 21 offences were classed as burglary, This was reduced during Operation Freestyle to seven.

Ten people were arrested, five have since been charged and will appear in court later this month.

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