Police abandon two in three burglary victims as crime soars
As pensioner arrested over burglar’s death is set free, scale of forces’ failure to go after thieves is revealed
POLICE are failing to investigate two thirds of burglaries properly as forces struggle to cope with the rising tide of crime on Britain’s streets.
In the last two years the number of unsolved domestic burglaries has risen from 47 per cent to 64 per cent, while in some areas nine out of 10 cases are written off without any action.
After years of decline, burglaries have risen sharply in number, with more than 400,000 crimes recorded last year, around half of which took place at people’s homes.
The data emerged as a pensioner from south London was released without any action after a career criminal who had broken into his home was stabbed to death.
Richard Osborn-brooks, 78, whose wife has dementia, was initially arrested on suspicion of murder, but was last night informed that he would not face any charges.
However, despite the recent surge in offences, many forces have stopped routinely attending burglaries, opting instead to deal with victims on the phone.
In the vast majority of those cases if there was no obvious forensic evidence immediately available, or no CCTV in the surrounding area, detectives would not spend time looking for the culprit.
According to official statistics, last year 127,617 burglary investigations across England and Wales were closed without any suspect being identified, leaving victims without any hope of justice and often living in fear of further attacks.
That figure is a rise of more than 35,000 since 2014, when the statistics were first collected and published.
In many cases the victims were simply informed by police there were no investigative opportunities available.
Many cash-strapped forces are taking the decision not to respond to nonemergency burglary reports in person. Leicestershire Police was criticised three years ago for only responding to burglaries at homes with even numbers.
Scotland Yard came under fire last year when it announced it would no longer respond to many low-level crimes, including burglary, if the victims were not in danger and no suspect could be easily identified.
Even when a full investigation was opened, less than 6 per cent of burglaries resulted in a prosecution, the lowest figure for more than a decade.
Police leaders have insisted they continue to take burglary seriously, but are forced by dwindling budgets to prioritise more serious matters such as terrorism, violent crime and sexual offences.
But experts have warned that this policy is emboldening burglars and is leading to the surge in offending.
Campaigners for victims have demanded an end to the apparent trivialisation of burglary, pointing out that it remains one of the most upsetting and traumatising of all acquisitive offences.
Diana Fawcett, from the charity Victim Support, said: “Burglary not only robs victims of their physical possessions – it can also rob people of their sense of security at home, a place where everyone should feel most safe.
“It’s vitally important that all reports of burglary are taken seriously and that victims have access to the support they need to help them cope and recover.”
Baroness Newlove, the victims’ commissioner, also hit out at the lack of personal response from the police when someone is burgled. She said it was not good enough for the police to claim they were too under-resourced to follow up cases.
“Victims want to feel supported, especially by those who are there to protect them. Getting an email or a phone call is not the same as a face to face response. It is not just about getting a
crime number,” she told The Daily Telegraph in a recent interview.
The current approach is also deeply unpopular with many officers, who say not tackling burglary properly feels like conceding defeat to the criminals.
Simon Kempton from the Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, said catching burglars was one of the main reasons many officers joined the force.
He said: “Burglary is such an insidious crime which has a huge psychological impact on the victim. Invariably they feel like they have been violated and often no longer feel safe at home.
“The impact on victims is massive, particularly if the person is vulnerable, and we should be doing everything possible to bring burglars to justice.
“Catching burglars is why I joined the police force and I still remember 17-and-a-half years ago nicking my first burglar. I felt like I had scored the winning goal in the Cup Final.
“As police officers we want to go out to everyone who has been burgled, particularly because we want to help people, but also because we love nicking burglars, but there is simply not enough of us. It is soul destroying as a police officer to feel as if you are letting people down. Burglary victims often end up getting dealt with over the phone, but if someone wants to see a police officer they should be able to see one, they pay for us after all. It raises fundamental questions about what we want from the police service.”
Even senior officers have expressed private frustration, with one detective chief inspector telling The Telegraph: “If the police are not turning up to burglaries then what exactly are we here for?”
A recent report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) found that even where officers did attend burglaries they were arriving so late that they were missing crucial investigative opportunities. But in many cases victims were simply put through to a call handler who took their details and supplied them with a crime number.
Zoe Billingham, of the HMICFRS, said: “Burglary is a totemic type of crime that is against a person rather than the property.
“It is a crime that causes immense psychological harm and chief officers need to think long and hard about not sending an officer out.”