Police chiefs across the country have vowed for the first time to ensure that officers “attend all home burglaries”.
Martin Hewitt, chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), said the commitment is aimed at building public trust in the police.
Writing in the Daily mailHewitt said: “Some police chiefs have struggled to be present at all break-ins with limited resources and to strike a balance between an increase in complex and highly damaging crimes. But burglary is invasive and can be deeply traumatic.
We want to give people the peace of mind to know that if you live through that invasion, the police will come, find all possible evidence and do everything they can to catch those responsible
“We want to give people the peace of mind to know that if you live through that invasion, the police will come, find all possible evidence and do everything they can to catch those responsible.
“That’s a crucial part of the contract between the police and the public.”
His comments come as the Mail reports that an average of 774 burglaries go unsolved every day.
Last week, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley told BBC Radio 4’s Today program that it is unacceptable that the proportion of reported burglaries attended by a police officer has fallen to 50%.
“We will never stand up to every crime, and the public understands that, but something as serious as a burglary needs some serious police action. It’s too serious a break-in not to let someone come,” he said.
Hewitt said the NPCC is also seeking help from the Secretary of the Interior to help police chiefs devote more resources to solving crime.
Only 5.6% of offenses in England and Wales in 2021/22 – about one in 18 – resulted in charges and/or subpoenas, up from 7.1%, or one in 14, in 2020/21, according to Home office figures published in July.
“A National Court of Auditors report in 2018 showed that 64% of emergency calls to the police were not about crime,” said Mr Hewitt.
“Some are completely legitimate policing activities, but a significant proportion see police intervening in health and social work due to a lack of other services.
“We ask the government to take seriously the enormous broadening of the police role. We want to focus more on solving crime. The public wants the same. And politicians too.”
Hewitt is also calling for an overhaul of crime-recording processes, with the current system too often taking cops away from district police and contributing to “misleading” statistics.
“Right now, for crime registration purposes, breaking into someone’s family home is treated the same as losing a spade from a shed. There must be a better way,” he said.
Finally, Mr. Hewitt said that the police and… Government should work together to agree on a consistent standard of core police services, “with evidence and public priorities at the heart of our decision-making”.