Police vow to attend every burglary

Police chiefs have said for the first time that an officer will attend every burglary.

All 43 chief constables in England and Wales have signed an agreement committing them to always visit burgled homes regardless of their location or what has been stolen.

The deal follows reports that an average of 774 burglaries are unsolved every day. Martin Hewitt, of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said that the change will mean that more cases should reach court. In some areas, the prosecution rate is as low as 1.7 per cent.

Writing in the Daily Mail, he said: “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 being solved and more offenders prosecuted. We want to give people the peace of mind of knowing if you experience that invasion, the police will come, find all possible evidence and make every effort to catch those responsible.”

“That’s a critical part of the contract between the police and public.”

The change is seen as a significant moment in policing given that forces in different areas of the country had been setting their own priorities.

A new “rapid evidence assessment” carried out by the College of Policing, presented at a meeting of police chiefs on September 30, found that visiting crime scenes could offer investigative opportunities to solve cases, as well as reassuring victims and preventing further offences. The assessment led to the new change in police procedures.

An audit in August by His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Andy Cooke, called for officers to attend every domestic raid.

Mr Cooke said: “Back in August we published a report which said the police response to burglary must improve. Burglary is an invasive crime that strikes at the heart of how safe we feel in our homes. Yet too many victims may not see a single officer – as I have said previously, that can’t be right.”

“Today’s announcement shows that police leaders have started to act on our findings. This is a positive step for - wards in solving more burglaries and making sure victims get the service they deserve.”

Mr Hewitt said that the number of burglaries was at a record low, having fallen by 51 per cent over the past decade because of “increased investment by police and partners in preventing them happening”.

Chief Constable Andy Marsh, chief executive of the College of Policing, said: “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.”

Mr Hewitt said that an “important collective decision” was taken at the meeting to attend all home burglaries.

“Some forces already do this. Others attend where it has been established there are evidential lines of enquiry or where victims are vulnerable or elderly.

“Some police chiefs have struggled to achieve attendance at all burglaries with limited resources and balancing an increase in complex and highly harmful crimes. But burglary is invasive and can be deeply traumatic.”

Police chiefs will now ask Home Secretary Suella Braverman for more resources so they can focus on burglaries.