The Royal Montserrat Police Service is reporting that since stepping up patrols in the Salem district late last year, the burglaries have ceased.
Speaking to the press last week, Police Commissioner Steve Foster said “We had a spike of burglaries over a 3-month period, in which we saw some 40 something burglaries over a very short period of time. At the end of the reporting period we were still below the number that was reported for 2014. However, because of that spike it brought the community into some area of panic and this was concerning for us.”
The commissioner said that the decision was taken to change the police shift system and also to deploy officers from every sector including, traffic, criminal investigations on a 24-hour basis.
“Ten officers were detached and placed specifically in the Salem district area where the number of burglaries went on. To address and arrest that issue. So far one person was arrested in connection with at least one of the burglaries. And the investigation continues. We have not changed our approach. So that area is still being covered by those officers over this period and will continue.”
The commissioner said since the arrest the burglaries have ceased.
