Figures recently made available via a freedom of information request reveal that in England and Wales, only 10% of burglary reports have resulted in someone being charged with the crime. However, some even fall below that with West Yorkshire Police reporting a charge rate of just 6%. That’s among the lowest in the country. See the full details here.
Between 2013 and 2016, 4475 people were charged out of 74,350 burglary reports. This does include commercial break ins as well as domestic ones and doesn’t account for other potential outcomes such as restorative justice or cautions.
A spokesman from West Yorkshire Police wanted to assure the public that, despite the low charge rate, officers do take burglary seriously and that every incident is investigated. He also added that “the best way to protect our communities is to work with the public to prevent crime taking place in the first place.”
We would agree with this strategy; doing whatever you can to prevent a burglary is always better than dealing with the consequences of one. There is a wealth of advice and information on how to do this on our website but essentially these are the best things that you can do to avoid the trauma of a break in:
- Keep doors and windows closed and locked – even when you’re at home
- Install anti-snap locks
- Install an appropriate burglar alarm and make sure it’s always set when appropriate
- Keep your burglar alarm in good working order by having it serviced annually
- Keep valuables out of view from the window
- Don’t post details about expensive items you have or advertise that you’re away from home on social media
- Keep an eye out for suspicious behaviour around your community and work with your neighbours to prevent crime
- Take measures to make your home look occupied when you’re out (eg timers on lights, TV or radio on etc)
If you would like more detailed advice on any of the above, call us on 0345 833 5543 or come and see us in our security shop in Wakefield.