Police did not attend more than 1,300 burglaries in Leicestershire …

Officers did not attend almost a third of house burglaries reported to Leicestershire Police[1] last year, according to research by the Liberal Democrats. Figures obtained by the party under the Freedom of Information Act show investigators were sent to the scene in 2,376 of 3,753 reported cases, approximately 63 per cent. Nationally, the numbers are similar, with almost four in 10 burglaries not resulting in a visit to the scene by a single police officer.

The figures were based on data provided by 19 police forces across England. Some forces refused to provide figures. The Leicestershire data also includes the number of unsolved burglaries in the year.

Approximately 75 per cent of all cases, 2,846, were closed without a suspect being identified. The Liberal Democrats in Oadby and Wigston[3] have raised the issue in the run-up to the local elections, which are taking place on Thursday, May 4. The party is calling for a new Burglary Response Guarantee, which would see all domestic burglaries attended by the police.

Victor Kaufman, the party's spokesman in the district, said: "It is shocking that so many burglaries in our community are not being attended by a police officer. No family should be denied justice after suffering the distress and trauma of being burgled. "Many families across Oadby and Wigston now feel unsafe in their own homes because this Conservative government has left our police forces overstretched and under-resourced.

It means far too many victims are being denied justice and far too many criminals are getting away with it. The Liberal Democrats would ensure that if people are burgled, they know the police will attend the scene and investigate properly. A Leicestershire Police spokeswoman said the force could not comment because of rules which restrict public authorities' ability to comment on public affairs in a pre-election period.

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References

1. ^ Leicestershire Police (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
2. ^ Crackdown on illegal sale of vapes to children announced (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
3. ^ Oadby and Wigston (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
4. ^ sign up to our newsletters here. (data.reachplc.com)