Almost 600 burglaries are going unsold every day, analysis finds

2023-07-25

Almost 600 burglaries are going unsold every day with more than 200,000 police investigations into break-ins closed without any suspects being identified, analysis of Home Office figures finds

This amounts to 76.8 per cent of all cases across England and Wales in 2022-23
South Yorkshire Police was said to have worst clear-up rate of those unsolved

Almost 600 burglaries are going unsolved every day, it has been claimed.

Some 213,279 police investigations into break-ins were closed last year without a suspect being identified, analysis of Home Office figures by the Liberal Democrats shows today.

This amounts to 76.8 per cent of all cases across England and Wales in 2022-23 – an average of 584 a day, according to the Lib Dems.

South Yorkshire Police was said to have the worst clear-up rate with 84.4 per cent of all recorded burglaries unsolved, followed by Hampshire (83.1) and Scotland Yard (81.6).

The Lib Dems say the drop in neighbourhood policing teams and Police Community Support Officers is to blame.

Some 213,279 police investigations into break-ins were closed last year without a suspect being identified. File image

The Lib Dems say the drop in neighbourhood policing teams and Police Community Support Officers is to blame. File image

They are also calling for a statutory guarantee that officers will investigate every domestic break-in, despite a voluntary pledge by chief constables to do so.

The party’s home affairs spokesman Alistair Carmichael said: ‘Everyone deserves to feel safe and secure in their own homes.

‘But knowing that so many burglars are getting off scot-free will bring little comfort to our communities.

‘Make no mistake, these are the consequences of the Conservatives constantly sidelining frontline policing.

‘Enough is enough. The Home Secretary must finally restore proper community policing and implement a burglary response guarantee. It’s the only way to reverse these criminally bad figures.’

A Home Office spokesman said: ‘Since 2010 our communities are safer, with neighbourhood crimes including burglary, robbery and theft down 51 per cent.

‘The Home Secretary does expect to see forces getting the basics right – deterring crime but also catching more criminals.

‘That’s why she called for every force to send an officer to investigate the scene of every home burglary, which is now happening across the country.’

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