Police officers will have to visit hundreds of burglary victims each day - after the force committed to attend all home break-ins. Last year there were a total of 148,764 burglaries of residential properties in England and Wales, plus 3,561 aggravated burglaries, which is a more serious crime because it means the offenders were armed with some kind of weapon.
That would mean police would need to go out to see the victim of a home invasion 417 times per day, or once every 3.5 minutes. According to the latest available figures some 135,573 officers were available for duty as of March across England and Wales. That means - spread evenly across the workforce - each officer would need to attend at least one burglary.
But that does not take into account the 37,961 attempted burglaries, or the 1,542 distraction burglaries and 232 attempted distraction burglaries that took place in England and Wales last year. If police attended all of those crimes as well, that would mean an officer visiting crime victims once every 2.7 minutes.
It comes as police chiefs in England and Wales have committed to attend all home burglaries, following evidence from the College of Policing. Police chiefs took the decision after considering public opinion, a report on acquisitive crime, and reviewing a new rapid evidence assessment produced by the College of Policing on effective measures for solving burglary crimes.
National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) chair Martin Hewitt, said: “The number of burglaries is at an all-time low, down 51% over the past decade due to increased investment by police and partners in preventing them happening in the first place. Wherever you live in England and Wales you can be confident the police will attend if you experience the invasion of a home burglary. This should see more burglaries solved and more offenders prosecuted.”
Some forces already have a policy of attending all home burglaries. Others attend where it has been established that there are evidential lines of enquiry or where victims are vulnerable or elderly. The NPCC said chief constables will prioritise attendance on home burglaries, not outbuildings and garden sheds.
It follows a recent letter sent out by the College of Policing, presenting evidence of how rapid police attendance can increase victim satisfaction and improve investigations, as well as potentially preventing future crimes.
Chief Constable Andy Marsh, CEO of the College of Policing, said: “Any intrusion into our home can be traumatic. It’s not just the loss of possessions but the way a burglary can steal a person’s sense of security from the place where they should feel safest. Officers across the country want to be locking up criminals and keeping communities safe. Our standards will help bring consistency to the police’s response, enable them to get the basics right and deliver what the public expect.”
NPCC Lead for Burglary, Deputy Chief Constable Alex Franklin-Smith, added: “Burglary has a significant and long-lasting effect on victims. Police officers up and down the country are committed to bringing more offenders to justice and this decision will bring greater consistency across England and Wales in the way we respond to, and investigate, offences of burglary.
“We will work closely with the College of Policing to improve investigative standards and we will continue to invest in the important preventative work with our many partners in an effort to keep offending levels at an all-time low.”
