‘THERE’S A LOT MORE TO BE DONE – BUT WE’RE SEEING SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS’
Force defends actions after figures show burglary victims’ 17-hour waits for cops
BURGLARY victims in Staffordshire have been left waiting an average of 17 hours for police to turn up.
The figure for domestic burglaries in 2022/23 is nearly double the previous year’s wait time of nine hours and 53 minutes – and equates to a 250 per cent shift on 2020/21’s four hours and 52 minutes.
The figures have emerged from Freedom of Information requests to all 39 English forces.
Staffordshire Police were among 26 who replied, with its wait the fourth longest, behind Northamptonshire (28 hours), Durham (25) and Devon & Cornwall (22). Neighbouring Cheshire Constabulary is one of the 13 that refused to provide a figure.
Staffordshire Police concedes ‘there is a lot more work to be done’ but says it is seeing ‘significant improvements in justice outcomes for victims’.
The Sentinel has reported how the force has stepped up patrols in parts of North Staffordshire amid fears burglars have been eyeing up properties and vehicles.
The latest Home Office crime figures - for the year to the end of September - show out of the 91,057 recorded crimes in Staffordshire, 4,293 related to burglaries - with 2,896 residential and 1,397 non-residential which mainly includes businesses.
Last year it was confirmed that all forces in the country would attend every home burglary. Staffordshire Police made that pledge in 2020.
Responding to the FOI figures, a spokeswoman for the force said: “We have attended and investigated all reported residential burglaries since we pledged to do so in 2020, unless there is an exceptional reason for not doing so. Burglary has a significant and long-lasting effect on victims and we are committed to bringing more offenders to justice in Staffordshire.
“Response times will vary depending on the threat, harm and risk of the situation, which will be assessed by our Control Room at the point of call. Though we recognise there is a lot more work to be done, we are seeing significant improvements in justice outcomes for victims.”
Deputy Chief Constable Alex Franklin-smith, the NPCC’S lead for burglary, says the nature of the report is assessed. He said: “Not every burglary report is the same and police control rooms across England must assess the threat, harm and risk associated with every call to ensure attendance is effectively prioritised.”
The FOI requests were submitted by the Liberal Democrats, which says victims ‘deserve a swift response’ but ‘years of ineffective resourcing’ under Conservative governments mean this is ‘increasingly out of reach’.
Alistair Carmichael, the party’s Home Affairs spokesman, said: “The basics of stopping and solving crime are missed. The fact that traumatised burglary victims are being left waiting for hours, wondering if the police will even arrive, is unacceptable. To think that crucial evidence may be lost in the process too is unforgivable.
“The British public deserves so much better than this.”
The Government has defended its record. A Home Office spokesperson said: “Since 2010, our communities are safer, with neighbourhood crimes such as burglary and robbery down 48 per cent. We also have more police officers protecting the public, having delivered on our promise to recruit 20,000 additional officers.”