Drones: Lincolnshire Police’s Newest Weapon Against Mobile Home Crime

Picture a serene mobile home park by the coast where families vacation in peace. Now, add a touch of crime to this serene image, and you'll get the recent challenges Lincolnshire has been facing. Almost 40% of residential break-ins in East Lindsey area in the United Kingdom have targeted mobile homes, causing the Police to find innovative solutions in the form of police drones.

Between September 2022 and July 2023, out of 277 home break-ins, a whopping 106 occurred in mobile homes. That's right, more than a third! And guess what? The hotspots for these burglaries included popular mobile home parks in Chapel St. Leonards, Skegness, and Ingoldmells. No wonder officers are saying that coastal caravan crime has turned into a “priority.”

But here's the silver lining. “We're using Drone Technology and we have got lots of stuff that we can bring in if we need to, including some covert methods,” disclosed Chief Inspector Lee St. Quinton.

The force isn't just stopping at Police Drones. They're reportedly also zipping around mobile home sites faster with their UTV vehicle. All this to ensure you sleep a little sounder in your mobile home.

However, crime seems to rise even higher when vacationers head back after their holiday season. Last autumn saw a more significant peak. Still, the efforts of the Lincolnshire Police shine through, with 30 arrests resulting from these incidents.

But what does it feel like to be a victim? Martin Adams, a long-time vacationer at Ingoldmells, paints a chilling picture: “About three in the morning I heard a great big bang and there were a young lad trying to get through the window.”

After witnessing a break-in, Adams and his family felt “uneasy” about returning. “You just don't feel like going back to your caravan, you don't feel safe in it,” he admitted.

Despite the anxiety, there's a glimmer of hope. The installation of CCTV cameras appears to be deterring would-be thieves. And with the police leveraging drones, vacationers can hopefully look forward to safer stays.

Photo courtesy of the Lincolnshire Police.