Over half of all crimes in borough unsolved
MORE than half of all crimes in Hinckley and Bosworth over the past year went unsolved, new figures have revealed.
Nearly 5,500 crimes were recorded in the borough last year, but criminals could not be identified in 3,177 (58%) of cases and no further action was taken in 1,387 incidents (25%).
Only 612 (11%) crimes resulted in a charge or summons, with 106 people cautioned and 153 dealt with in a socalled “community resolution”.
Leicestershire Police said they take all reports of crime “very seriously” and promised to “strive to bring an offender to justice” when there is strong evidence.
Burglary, arson, vehicle crime, theft and criminal damage were the most ‘unsolved crimes’ in the borough between January and December 2016.
No suspect was identified in nearly nine in 10 burglaries (88%) and out of 776 reported break-ins only 27 (3.5%) people were charged or summoned to court.
A total of 1,243 thefts were recorded, including 581 shoplifting offences, but nearly three-quarters (70%) resulted in no arrests as officers were unable to identify suspects in 875 alleged incidents.
The figures, obtained by the Hinckley Times through a Freedom of Information request to Leicestershire Police, show only 21 people saw justice in 856 vehicle crimes.
Meanwhile in 17 arson incidents, zero people were charged, no further action was taken against five and 12 suspects could not be identified.
However, the force fared much better in more serious offences such as violence, sexual assaults and drug offences.
In nearly 1,200 violent incidents - 440 of which resulted in an injury - 92% were solved, with 210 facing charges or a court summons. But no further action was taken in 65% (768) of cases.
Officers were able to identify alleged sex offenders in 91% of cases (109) and only 11 went unsolved.
The force was most efficient in drug related crime with just three out of 71 offenders dodging justice.
Sgt Mark Freer, the deputy NPA commander for Hinckley and Bosworth, said: “We take all reports of crime seriously, and accept the raw statistics may be concerning to residents and business owners in Hinckley and Bosworth.
“However, we would like to put some context around the figures.
“Officers have a number of investigative tools available to them to help identify potential witnesses and suspects. This can include CCTV opportunities and house-to-house enquiries.
“We rely on members of the public to help our investigations into crimes and would urge anyone who sees anything suspicious to report it to us – or through Crimestoppers anonymously. Even something that may seem insignificant might be important to the investigation.
“Everyone has a part to play in preventing and detecting crime.
“In some of the burglary and shoplifting cases, these opportunities were not available to us, therefore significantly reducing the evidence available.
“Equally, a number of the investigations remain ongoing. We will always endeavour to explore all evidential opportunities before an investigation is filed, pending further information coming to light. Where there is strong evidence, we will strive to bring an offender to justice.
“We have strong relationships with our partners across the borough, and we continue to work with them to help prevent crime and give crime prevention advice to people living and working here.
“For advice and guidance on how you can take precaution against becoming a victim of crime speak to a local officer or visit our website.”