Derbyshire Burglary charge rate was less than five per five cent, figures show

Of 2,601 burglaries between April 2021 and March this year only 110 - or 4.8 per cent - culminated in a charge.

The figure for Derbyshire - taken from the Home Office’s crime outcomes tables - was only fractionally lower than England and Wales, which is 5 per cent.

Hampshire had the lowest charge rate, at 2.6 per cent - four times lower than in Devon and Cornwall where it was 10 per cent.

In Scotland figures are compiled differently so cannot be directly compared.

Detective Chief Inspector Chris Marriott, in charge of serious acquisitive crime for Derbyshire Police, said: “We understand how distressing it is for anyone who suffers a burglary - especially for those who are victim of a burglary in their own home.

"It has a huge impact on their lives and we are committed to targeting these offences and we will always strive to provide the best possible outcome for victims.

“While the figures are in Derbyshire are broadly in line with national statistics we are clear in our intention to provide as good a level of service to our communities and we are striving to increase our burglary detection rates.

"Our officers regularly carry out plain-clothes and pre-planned patrols while continuing to work together with our partners in Derbyshire to build an ongoing picture around burglary and to help prevent them.”

"I would encourage residents to stay vigilant and always report any suspicious behaviour or information to us using the non-emergency methods or by contacting Crimestoppers anonymously. Always call 999 if a crime is in progress.”

The statistics come amid growing concern about the way police forces across England and Wales investigate break-ins.

The new head of the Metropolitan Police has said its officers must now visit the scene of burglaries in London.

Sir Mark Rowley told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Tuesday that the crime was “too serious an intrusion” not to have a police officer attend.

He said it is unacceptable that the proportion of reported burglaries attended by an officer from the force has fallen to 50 per cent.

And in August the police watchdog ordered forces to improve their response to burglaries, thefts and robberies.

In a damning report Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary said forces were missing opportunities to identify and catch offenders.

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary Andy Cooke said: “Burglary, robbery and theft are not minor crimes. They are crimes that strike at the heart of how safe people feel in their own homes or communities.

“The current low charge rates for these crimes are unacceptable and unsustainable – there needs to be a concerted drive to address this issue because it directly affects the public’s confidence in the police’s ability to keep them safe.”

He said there was a “postcode lottery” across England and Wales, with some victims more likely than others to get a thorough investigation from their force.

He urged forces to go “back to basics”, adding: “We found that from the moment a victim reports a crime until that case is finalised, forces are missing opportunities to gather vital evidence and bring offenders to justice.

“A lack of experienced officers means that too often, these crimes are being investigated poorly and are not adequately supervised – often because supervisors themselves are inexperienced and overstretched.”