Burglaries increase 20 per cent in 12 months, Met Police figures show

BURGLARIES and thefts in Britain are rising at an alarming rate. According to the Metropolitan Police, burglaries have shot up by 20 per cent in the space of a year.

The figures suggest criminals are targeting “low level” crimes that police forces have abandoned because of cuts in funding. Experts say police were no longer devoting resources to many burglaries and thefts as police chiefs come under mounting pressure to tackle terrorism, cyber crime and historic sex offences, as well as managing their budgets.

This has led to some forces diverting resources from incidents where no one is in danger or where there is little chance of securing a con- viction. The figures show house burglaries are up 21 per cent, bicycle thefts up 18 per cent and muggings by eight per cent.

The statistics are expected to show similar trends nationally and it is feared data released on Thursday will show crime, including shoplifting, is accelerating. But

experts believe the true scale of the problem may be much worse as victims decide not to call police as they fear little will be done or worry that doing so will affect home prices and insurance.

Last night criminologists warned failing to fully investigate low level crime may have ushered in a “fill your boots” mentality among thieves, muggers and burglars.

In 2015, Chief Constable Sara Thornton, head of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, declared that the public should no longer expect officers to turn up if they suffered “low level” burglary.

In a police trial in Leicester, officers were told not to investigate burglaries at odd-number homes. Rory Geoghegan, of the Centre for Social Justice, said people who might otherwise be put off by the risk of being caught were picking up on such policies and turning to crime. “If criminals discover they are not investigated over shoplifting, how long until they are committing more serious offences?” he said.

Calum Macleod, chairman of the Police Federation, feared the shift from investigating less serious crime would be reflected in the next batch of statistics. “I don’t expect them to paint a pretty picture,” he said.

The latest figures suggest a 20-year decline in burglary and theft is over. Last month, The Telegraph revealed a sharp rise in shoplifting resulted from a £200 threshold for pursuing criminals being introduced. Mr Macleod added: “This was forced upon officers because of funding cuts which have seen budgets reduced by 24 per cent, and police numbers diminished by 21,000.”

The Home Office said it expects police to take all reported crime seriously and to bring offenders to court.