A shockingly low number of burglaries are solved by police. Is this the answer to securing more arrests? | UK News
Early morning in south Manchester – and a prolific thief known to the police was arrested for a series of burglaries.
Officers from Greater Manchester Police have been issued orders to enter and search the home of the man, who is believed to have stolen items from the student residence.
Enough evidence was seized and autopsied to convict him on the same day. This was clearly a successful morning for GMP officers – something they are seeing more often – but it is rare across the country.
Only 6% of burglaries each year are tackled by police across England and Wales – a staggeringly low number that has dropped over the past few years. But in Manchester Things have changed a bit over the past 15 months, and the picture is changing.
The police commitment to attend every home burglary – introduced in July 2021 – is proving successful and so it’s the model adopted by every sheriff nationwide.
Data shared by GMP with Sky News shows that, in the past 12 months, theft-related arrests have increased by 52%.
It came like Nationwide sheriffs announced that officers will attend “all home burglaries” for the first time earlier this month.
Director Chris Foster, who commanded the force’s burglary, said: “We need to regain the public’s trust so we’re working to improve all of the basic standards like seeing someone when they get robbed, have the police attend and do a thorough investigation and then tie up all those links using partners so we have a proper outcome for the victim.”
He added: “We’re doing a great job of reaching people. We’re dealing with 94% of burglaries and almost 100% of residential burglaries.
“There are ways and means you can do it, and once you do some problem-solving around it, hopefully those numbers and demand will go down, but you have to focus on that.” it.”
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But some victims were fed up and lost faith in the police.
Martin McLaughlin runs a charity shop in Bolton. He says it has been stolen eight times in the past 12 months – with little or no action – he has given up on reporting all incidents together.
He told Sky News: “Sometimes it feels as if you put it on a plate for them and say we have this and we have that, even with CCTV and even when there is a staff member. evidence, they say ‘we can’t pursue anything because there’s not enough evidence’.
“When you call them, all you get is the crime number. I don’t need the crime number, I need them to stop the people who are doing damage to the charity shop.”
The GMP admits it needs to do more to convince the likes of Martin.
As forces across the country adopt the attend every theft model, they could face major supply problems.
Marc Jones, president of the association of police and crime commissioners, said: “This is going to be a challenge, especially in large metropolitan areas, but it’s the right thing to do.
“Police forces have to make choices and they make choices every day about what the priorities will be.
“The sheriff has made this a priority, they have agreed together that they will face this challenge and they will be held accountable for carrying it out.”
Theft is a deeply invasive and often traumatic crime – the anguish of an unsolved case only adds to that.
With increasing pressure on police to improve their response, it is hoped this landmark agreement will bring about change.
