Thames Valley Police in Milton Keynes is cracking down on pickpockets in the city centre with an operation aimed at shocking people into taking better care of their property.

Operation Dip will take place next Thursday (02/12/2010) and is being run in partnership with Partners Against Crime. Plain clothes officers will be walking around thecentre:mk and Midsummer Place dropping cards into open bags and pushchairs saying ‘I could have stolen your purse today’.

PC Mark Ridley, from the city centre neighbourhood police team, said: “We hope that when people find these cards in their handbags and pushchairs they will realise how easy it would have been for a thief to target them.

“We want to encourage more people to think about how to make their property safe when walking around in busy areas, particularly during the busy Christmas shopping period when thieves will be actively looking for an opportunity to strike. Simple steps, like making sure the zip of your handbag is done up and not putting purses and mobile phones in the bottom of pushchairs, make it much harder for a pickpocket to strike.

“In addition to the warning cards uniform officers are providing a high-visibility presence in known hotspots to target known offenders. They are carrying out stop searches and working with the retailers to gather intelligence and evidence to support prosecutions.”

Gail Buckland from Partners Against Crime, added: “During the Christmas period busy shoppers become complacent and this is a great way to remind them to secure their belongings to prevent potential thefts from happening.”