Criminologists believe they have developed a system which will more accurately predict where burglaries are likely to happen.
The system, called prospective crime mapping, was created by the Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science, said a report.
It said the system shows properties within 400 metres of a home which has already been burgled are at a higher risk of burglary for up to two months after the initial incident.
According to the report, when the system was tested on data from Merseyside, it was found to be 30% more accurate than systems currently in use.
Researchers are said to have advised police to increase patrols in areas where three is the potential for a cluster of burglaries to occur.
Shane Johnson who helped develop the system said it was much more responsive than existing systems. New information could be added to the maps ensuring that potential crime hotspots are kept up to date with the movements of burglars, said Johnson.
He said using the new approach, it was possible to predict the new a patch a burglar was moving into and identify which households were most at risk.
The Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science was set up three years ago to focus on how to prevent crime. It was founded by a £1m donation by the Jill Dando Fund.
