Police in nearly half of England and Wales have not solved any burglaries in the past three years, despite promising to attend every scene to improve detection rates.

According to a Telegraph analysis of police data, approximately 48 percent of neighbourhoods, each covering between 1,000 and 3,000 people, did not have any burglaries solved by the police. 

In October 2022, all 43 police chiefs in England and Wales pledged to attend every break-in. However, Home Office figures indicate that the proportion of burglaries resulting in a charge dropped to 3.9 percent (less than one in 25 reported burglaries) in the following year from 4.6 percent in 2022.

Unsolved burglaries raise concerns

In the most problematic areas, with populations of up to 6,000, over 150 cases have remained unsolved in the last three years. This leads advocates and policing experts to declare that burglary has essentially been decriminalised in certain UK regions. 

Dame Vera Baird, the former Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, criticised the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s pledge to improve detection rates as “an empty gesture” in many parts of the country.

“What these figures show is that in half of the neighbourhoods, burglaries of somebody’s home is a free hit. The criminal can walk away with the proceeds and never look back,” Baird said, as quoted by the Telegraph.

“Burglary can be very very upsetting and traumatising; it can make people afraid to go out in case it happens again and afraid to stay at home for the very same reason. Why are there no arrests, no prosecutions and no deterrence in almost half of all these cases?”

In over one in four (27 percent) “hot spot” UK neighbourhoods, defined as those with at least 10 unsolved break-ins in the past three years, police have not solved a single burglary. Rory Geoghegan, a former No 10 adviser on crime and the founder of the Public Safety Foundation, suggested that police chiefs who fail to reduce burglaries should be replaced.

“The crime-fighting minority of chiefs are already well on the way to hunting down burglars in their forces,” Geoghegan said, as quoted by the Telegraph. “We need the rest to either follow their lead, or frankly step down to make way for those who can.”

Burglary ‘hot spots’

Among the 48 percent of neighbourhoods, one area in West Yorkshire is labelled as Britain’s worst for unsolved burglaries. In Outer Rothwell, all 165 reported burglaries over the past three years remain unsolved.

Outer Rothwell’s performance in solving burglaries is strikingly poor. Residents in the area claim they “never see a police officer,” which they believe contributes to the dire situation. Retired nurse Elaine Paul, 70, one of the residents, attributed the figures to a lack of police presence.

“There’s a lot of anti-social behaviour that goes on, particularly in the precinct and the shopping centre,” Paul said, as quoted by the Daily Mail. “The youths that commit this anti-social behaviour, they see there’s no police presence, they see no deterrent and they think they can get away with it.”

“There used to be a police station that was manned in the town, but that’s shut down now.”

Following Outer Rothwell, the second-worst area for unsolved burglaries is Bransgore & Burley in Hampshire, with 152 cases remaining unresolved. Lower Quinton & Ettington in Warwickshire comes in third with 137 unsolved burglaries, only a single case more than Shobdon Luston & Bodenham in West Mercia with 136 unsolved.

While the statistics highlight the need for increased police efforts in solving burglaries, concerned residents may also consider additional security measures. Private security companies, such as Marengo, offer services that can provide added protection and peace of mind for homeowners.