Police forces only attend a quarter of burglaries: Officers sent to just one in four crime scenes – and two-thirds of forces don’t even keep a record of data
- Avon and Somerset sent officer to just 25 per cent of homes, FOI figures found
- Contrasted with South Yorkshire , which visited 96 per cent of burglary victims
- Greater Manchester Police saw arrests soar by 61pc after introducing policy
- Did police fail to visit your burglary? Email [email protected]
Police forces are still only attending a quarter of burglaries, new figures revealed today – while two-thirds do not even keep a record of the data.
Did police fail to visit your burglary?
Email [email protected]
Two forces, Avon and Somerset and Northumbria, sent an officer to just 25 per cent and 26.3 per cent of homes respectively, according to figures obtained under Freedom of Information laws.
This contrasted with South Yorkshire Police, which visited 96 per cent of burglary victims, the Telegraph found.
South Yorkshire Police was led by Chief Constable Stephen Watson until he joined Greater Manchester Police (GMP) last year and immediately vowed the force would also begin sending officers to all burglaries.
Since the policy was introduced, arrests have soared by 61 per cent and the number of crimes solved are up by 21 per cent, according to the results of a government pilot.
Two forces, Avon and Somerset and Northumbria, sent an officer to just 25 per cent and 26.3 per cent of burgled homes respectively
Northamptonshire Police cut domestic break-ins across the county by 48 per cent since April 2019 after pledging to attend as many burgled houses as possible.
FOI data reveals officers attended 78 per cent of burgled homes last year.
Andy Cooke, the chief inspector of constabulary, has said officers must attend all house burglaries, as have government ministers.
Just nine of the 43 police forces in England and Wales provided data on burglary visits, while two-thirds said they did not have the data.
Deputy Chief Constable Alex Franklin-Smith, of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said: “We recognise how invasive and traumatic it is to have your home invaded. We will always prioritise attending home burglaries and providing support to those victims who may be particularly vulnerable, such as the isolated elderly.”
It follows the publication of figures in June which revealed police had failed to solve a single burglary in nearly half of the country’s neighbourhoods over the past three years.
Andy Cooke, the chief inspector of constabulary, has said officers must attend all house burglaries, as have government ministers
Of more than 32,000 communities analysed, 16,000 – equivalent to 46 per cent – had all their burglary cases in a three-year period closed with no suspect charged by police.
Almost 2,000 of the neighbourhoods – each containing around 3,000 residents – recorded at least 25 burglaries, but none were solved.
Parson Cross, in Sheffield, was the worst hit area with 104 burglaries closed without a suspect. It was followed by New Arley and Fillongley, in Warwickshire, which had 99 unsolved cases, according to analysis by the Telegraph.
Despite the impact on victims, it was revealed that some forces no longer dispatch an officer to the scene of a burglary because it’s not considered a policing priority.
Did police fail to visit your burglary? Email [email protected]
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