Nearly three-quarters of theft cases in Derbyshire closed with no suspect

They were among over one million unsolved cases of theft across England and Wales - which charity Victim Support said undermines the public's confidence in the justice system.

Home Office figures show Derbyshire Constabulary closed 19,087 theft cases in 2021 – 71 per cent of which had the outcome "investigation complete, no suspect identified".

This was up from 69 per cent in 2020.

A further nine per cent of all theft cases in Derbyshire closed with a suspect identified and the victim supporting an investigation but "evidential difficulties prevented further action" - while nine per cent were closed because the victim dropped the case.

And just seven per cent resulted in a charge or summons – down from 10 per cent the year before.

Across England and Wales one million theft offences were closed without a suspect being found – 77 per cent of all cases.

In London, this was as high as 87 per cent, while in Norfolk it was 57 per cent.

Derbyshire Police’s Detective Superintendent Paul Tatlow, commenting on the county’s performance, said theft created “a significant level of demand for the force”.

He added that lines of enquiry had to be “balanced against the prospect of bringing an offender to justice” which could mean some offences were closed at any early stage “pending new evidence coming to light”.

He said: “Theft is an offence that can have an enormous impact on victims – both emotionally and financially - and is something the force takes seriously and investigates appropriately.

"We know that many thefts are committed by known offenders – for a range of reasons – and there is targeted work to bring them to justice, along with work with partners to help break cycles of offending, such as where someone may be stealing to fund an addiction.

“We also work closely with partner agencies when a victim of theft is found to be vulnerable to ensure they have the help and support to recover from the offence and help stop them from becoming a repeat victim.

“A large proportion of theft incidents are opportunistic and there are some simple crime prevention tactics that people can use – such as locking doors and windows of houses, ensuring cars are locked and valuables are not left on display - which we would urge people to follow.”

Further crime prevention advice can be found on the Derbyshire Constabulary website HERE

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