CASH rewards are being offered in exchange for information about suspected criminals.
Crimestoppers is offering rewards of up to £1,000 for tip-offs leading to the arrest and charge of suspects for burglary and handling stolen goods.
Surrey Crimestoppers chairman Tim Prideaux said: "We all want our homes and valuables to be as safe as possible, so if you have any information about any burglary but don't want to reveal your identity then please contact us."
Speaking about the new rewards initiative, Detective Superintendent Ray Blythe said: "Surrey Police are pleased to be working alongside Crimestoppers once again in our bid to reduce burglary activity.
"We know that some people don't want to talk to the police and don't want to give their name but do have information about burglars in their area.
"I would encourage anyone who knows about those involved in this distressing crime to tell someone, whether that be the police or Crimestoppers, to make sure we can bring these individuals to justice."
But former Dorking police inspector Mike Ledwidge has criticised the idea, saying it is the "duty" of a citizen to report criminal activity.
"I think it is sad that the authorities are being forced to offer rewards for people to come forward with information," he said.
"It doesn't speak very well of society that citizens need to be tempted with cash to stop crimes happening.
"I think there are real dangers to incentivising cooperation. It's the duty of a good citizen to help police."
Statistics compiled by Tesco Compare suggest 781,866 burglaries were committed in the UK from the start of 2009 to the end of 2011 – a rate of one every 40 seconds.
The figures also showed 56 per cent of burglaries happened at night, 57 per cent while someone was home and 86 per cent were committed by men.
It is often said that crime doesn't pay – and the new rewards make it even more sensible for criminals to turn over a new leaf. Statistics compiled by the Home Office show the average value of goods taken in burglaries in England and Wales in 2010/11 was £2,040. But the amount a criminal can get for stolen goods will be far less than their market value. "In reality, they are selling the stuff at a ridiculous fraction of the value that would be put on it by its rightful owner," said former Dorking police inspector Mike Ledwidge. "They are obviously keen to shift the item quickly for many reasons and this means they will usually sell high-end items for peanuts." So the Advertiser's advice to burglars is: shop your fellow criminals – and get a proper job. Call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or use the untraceable online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org to report criminal activity.
