Nine teenagers have been arrested breaking into or about to break into cars in Hove.
The five-day police operation ended at the weekend with what senior officers called a significant drop in car crime in the area.
Hove community beat officers, supported by the Home Office-funded Brighton and Hove Vehicle Crime Reduction Unit, targeted known offenders.
They waited until they committed the crimes and then swooped.
They also stopped and searched suspects on the streets.
All nine arrested were males aged in their mid to late teens.
Inspector Dave Stringer, in charge of the operation, said: "Valuable intelligence has also been obtained and further operations are planned."
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