Police go high-tech to trap burglars
Hidden cameras and tagged goods are being used to catch criminals.


The Home Office has invested 2 million into burglar trapping tech, it announced today.
Some 16 police forces are using tech automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) systems, forensic scanners and property tagging to catch criminals.
Some are also using so-called "trap" houses and cars - rigged targets with hidden cameras and tagged property - to trick burglars.
A trap room set up in halls of residence at an Oxford university has already netted one "prolific burglar," the Home Office said, adding the video footage helped put him in jail for more than two years.
Home Office Minister Alan Campbell said: "This new equipment will not only help police catch the criminals who harm communities, it will help prevent crime as well. Once burglars realise the home they're breaking into might be covered by hidden cameras they might start to think twice."
Get the ITPro daily newsletter
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
Freelance journalist Nicole Kobie first started writing for ITPro in 2007, with bylines in New Scientist, Wired, PC Pro and many more.
Nicole the author of a book about the history of technology, The Long History of the Future.
-
LaunchDarkly to "double down" on observability with Highlight acquisition
News Highlight's observability tools will be integrated into LaunchDarkly's Guarded Releases software deployment service
By Daniel Todd
-
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE review
Reviews The Tab S10 FE retains the feel and core capabilities of Samsung's high-end S10 tablets, but compromises on the display and the performance
By Stuart Andrews
-
The UK cybersecurity sector is worth over £13 billion, but experts say there’s huge untapped potential if it can overcome these hurdles
Analysis A new report released by the DSIT revealed the UK’s cybersecurity sector generated £13.2 billion over the last year
By Solomon Klappholz
-
"Thinly spread": Questions raised over UK government’s latest cyber funding scheme
The funding will go towards bolstering cyber skills, though some industry experts have questioned the size of the price tag
By George Fitzmaurice
-
Threat of cyber attacks to national security compared to that of chemical weapons
News The UK government has raised the threat level posed by cyber attacks, deeming it greater on average than an event such as the Salisbury poisoning
By Rory Bathgate
-
2022 Public Sector Identity Index Report
Whitepaper UK Report
By ITPro
-
UK and Japan strike digital partnership to collaborate on IoT security, semiconductors
News The two countries are also set to align their approaches to digital regulation to make it easier for companies to operate in each nation
By Zach Marzouk
-
Defra's legacy software problem 'threatens' UK gov cyber security until 2030
News The department spends over two-thirds of its digital budget on maintaining the risky applications, with no plan in place for a fix within the decade
By Rory Bathgate
-
Netherlands urges citizens to prepare survival kits in case hackers target critical infrastructure
News The latest campaign from the national coordinator for security echoes the growing concern in the UK government over serious cyber attacks
By Zach Marzouk
-
UK police fails ethical tests with "unlawful" facial recognition deployments
News A University of Cambridge team audited UK police use of the tech and found frequent ethical and legal shortcomings
By Rory Bathgate