439 burglaries went unattended in Wiltshire last year, stark figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats have shown.
Of the 1943 burglaries reported, police only arrived at the scene in 1,504 instances – meaning that the police failed to attend the scene of one in five burglaries.
The number of unsolved burglaries in Wiltshire also rose, with 1,415 cases being closed without a suspect even identified. This is equivalent to 73% of all cases. Nationally, almost four in ten burglaries in the country did not result in a visit to the scene by a police officer. The figures were based on data provided by 19 police forces in England. Another 14 forces refused to provide the figures.
The LibDems are calling for a new “Burglary Response Guarantee,” which would create a guarantee that all domestic burglaries are attended by the police and properly investigated.
“This will require a return to proper community policing – where officers are visible, trusted, and have the time and resources needed to focus on solving crime,” said Sarah Gibson, Liberal Democrat candidate for Chippenham.
“It is shocking that so many burglaries in our community are not being attended by a police officer. No one should be denied justice after suffering the distress and loss of being burgled. Many peoples across Wiltshire 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.
“Since 2015, the Conservatives have taken over 4,000 Police Community Support Officers off the streets, while they look set to have broken their key promise of having recruited an extra 20,000 police officers by the end of March 2023. The Liberal Democrats would ensure that if people are burgled, they know the police will attend the scene and investigate properly. More and more people across Wiltshire are turning to the Liberal Democrats, because they know we work hard for our communities, we hear your concerns, and we never take you for granted.”
Wiltshire Police have been approached for a comment but Melksham News had not heard back at the time of going to press.
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