A 98-year-old burglary victim has thanked Lancaster police for their response to the incident.
The victim was targeted while she was asleep. Two males have been arrested on suspicion of burglary and released under investigation.
The victim has asked for her story to be shared in hope to help put a stop to crimes like this.
Chief Superintendent Karen Edwards visited the lady, after she wrote a letter to register her gratitude.
Her letter included: “The compassion and genuine care that these wonderful individuals showed me made a very distressing situation much more bearable. Since then, all the police officers that I have met, and who have attended my home, have been just wonderful.”
The victim recalled how one of our officers held her hand soon after they arrived at the address, stating that the officer truly cared.
Chief Supt Edwards said: “When I was briefed about this crime, I was appalled - burglary has a significant impact on victims. To target a 98-year-old lady just shows the mentality of the offenders, who I believe to be utter cowards.
“This lady has shown immense bravery and alongside her family, my officers are continuing to offer support whilst investigating the offence.
“Offenders who commit burglary, and those who handle stolen property, need to be reminded that both we and our communities will not tolerate your criminal behaviour - you are not welcome here. I will continue to take a robust stance in carrying out proactive work, utilising both covert and overt policing tactics to apprehend you and put you before the courts. In recent proactive operations, we have detained 161 people for burglary in my division.
“It goes without saying – if you knowingly buy stolen goods, you are feeding the demand for crimes such as this to happen. Some of the most innocent within our communities are targeted, and this is simply unacceptable.
“As the Divisional Commander, I am incredibly proud of all the officers involved in this case. My officers have an extremely challenging job. I believe that if a police officer ever stops caring, then it’s time to look for another job. This terrible incident demonstrates just how compassionate and caring the attending officers were. This was a truly victim focussed response and that’s what I expect to see.
“Once again, I appreciate all your support and the community intelligence you provide. Please continue to report information relating to burglary, suspicious activity of the handling of stolen property either online, by calling 101 or 999 in an emergency. You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111”.
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