BBC to screen insider guide to burglary
BBC1 is to screen an insider’s guide to burglary and car theft giving the secrets of the shady trade, it was announced today.
Two reformed criminals will show viewers signs they look for when targeting properties and how to gain access in a bid to show viewers how they can take preventive action.
The programme, To Catch A Thief, is part of a day-long broadcast aimed at showing the true extent of crime in the UK.
In the show the pair - one a Methodist preacher, the other now an actor - give tips on how to pose as a window cleaner as a cover while finding houses to burgle.
They also describe jamming screwdrivers into car door locks to open a vehicle.
A home rigged with CCTV will show how they actually break in and search the house, after which the duo give details about how the public can cut down the risks.
BBC1 controller Lorraine Heggessey defended the programme today as she unveiled plans for Cracking Crime day.
She said: "I’m hoping that home owners will heed the advice or two former criminals and burglar-proof their houses."
Cracking Crime is designed to give an accurate reflection of how serious a problem crime is.
Around seven hours of the day’s schedule are expected to be devoted to a number of related shows.
In one programme, You The Judge, viewers will be given an insight into the minds of judges as they decide the sentences for criminals.
They will see a number of real-life cases and vote on how stiff a term should be given within the parameters judges are given.
"The basic idea is compare public opinion with that of the judiciary. It’s a way of engaging viewers to think about crime," Heggessey said.
She expects three to four crimes to be used as examples but the fine details have yet to be decided and cleared by BBC lawyers.
In another programme Anatomy Of A Crime, audiences will follow a crime from the moment it was reported to the final sentencing of those who are investigated.
Heggessey said: "There’s a big disparity between public perception of crime and their fear of crime and the reality. One of the things we want to get at is what is the true picture of crime today.
"You’re far less at risk than you think you are," she added.
