A TEAM of officers in south Essex have had great success in pinning offenders to scenes of crime through DNA and fingerprint evidence.

The team, consisting of one detective sergeant and six other officers, which is codenamed Operation Titan, was launched in November last year following a spate of burglaries across Basildon. At the time, an average of four houses were targeted every day.

Since then, the team have managed to secure 75 charges in relation to 374 crimes, including robberies, burglaries and theft across south Essex

Of those 374 crimes, 177 relate to burglaries. Many of the offenders have since been jailed.

It is the team’s job to collect the evidence, speak to victims and secure enough knowledge about the suspect to deliver to the Crown Prosecution Service, which will decide on charges.

Det Sgt Jen Payne, who leads Operation Titan, said: “The team was launched last November as a result of wanting to give a better response to forensic results.

“Quite often when we would get a forensic hit, we wouldn’t be able to respond to it straight away because of all the 999 calls.

“The team was set up to respond to the DNA hit straight away and find the suspect, to get the people who are offending off the streets.

“Generally we deal with acquisition crimes - handling stolen goods, theft from motor vehicles, theft of motor vehicles, fraud, and robbery.

“Every time we get a forensic hit, such as DNA or a fingerprint, we will speak to forensic intelligence to find out who the forensic hit belongs to.

“Then we will check if the suspect is going to be a viable suspect by speaking to victims and taking a statement, which will include their knowledge of the person.

“In terms of a fingerprint on a window. If we can show that the location of the fingerprint shows that they were climbing into the window at the time, it gives more context.

“We look for CCTV evidence and do house-to-house enquiries.”

The team has also been praised by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) - with other areas urged to start similar initiatives.

Their success stories include the imprisonment of Jon Lee, 32, of Powell Road, Laindon, who was jailed for two years for 11 different offences, after the Op Titan team linked him to the scene of a burglary through his fingerprints.

Lee admitted nine shoplifting offences, one burglary and going equipped for burglary. Basildon Crown Court also heard how Lee broke into a home in Waverley Road, Benfleet, on April 8 this year. He got in by smashing a window and his fingerprints were left on the glass, linking him to the crime. Lee was stopped in Tavistock Road, Laindon, on May 17 this year when he was found to be in possession of black rubber gloves, tools and items of jewellery.

Gary Haliben, 34, of no fixed abode, was jailed for 21 months for robbery after he was linked to the scene of his crime by fingerprints left on a crack pipe. Basildon Crown Court heard how on February 24 this year Haliben’s victim, a 72-year-old man, left a supermarket in London Road, Southend, with his 75-year-old wife.

As they left the store, Haliben approached them from behind, and struck the man, knocking him to the ground. He then rifled through his pocket and stole various credit cards.

However, Haliben dropped a crack pipe at the scene which had his fingerprints on it, leading detectives straight to him.

Kallen Maxwell, 20, of Wethersfield Way, Wickford, was jailed for three-and-a-half years after the Op Titan team linked him to the scene of burglaries through DNA left there.

Officers recovered a knife from a stolen vehicle Maxwell was travelling in which linked him to the crime.

Maxwell pleaded guilty to three burglaries, taking a vehicle without consent and aggravated vehicle taking without consent when he appeared at Basildon Crown Court.

Operation Titan is also responsible for collecting forensic evidence against Lindsay Hilden, 35, and Peter Flowers, 42, who admitted conspiracy to burgle dozens of homes, many of which were on Canvey. They will be sentenced at Basildon Crown Court on Friday.