Greater Manchester Police are turning to direct marketing to combat burglary over the festive period.
Hundreds of known burglars, robbers and thieves are being sent Christmas cards warning them to “stay out of trouble to stay out of prison”.
The cards feature a Christmas pudding with the advice ‘Don’t be a pudding this Christmas’ and will be hand-delivered by officers as part of regular offender management work such as bail and curfew checks.
Assistant Chief Constable Terry Sweeney from Greater Manchester Police said: “The run up to Christmas can be a challenging time for offenders out on parole. They receive support from us, the probation service and other partners to make a new life for themselves away from crime but this time of year can put extra pressure on them to return to their old ways to fund their own Christmas celebrations.
“These cards serve as a light-hearted and timely warning that officers can use to reiterate to offenders what they are risking by straying from the straight and narrow. They are left in no doubt that returning to crime means returning to prison.
“We want everyone to have a happy, safe and crime-free Christmas. Criminals who get in the way of this can expect a visit from us instead of Santa this year.”
