Burglaries committed in the month of December 2019 to 2021
Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.22.027260
I note you seek access to the following information:
1. How many burglaries were committed in the month of December in each of the past three calendar years (2021, 2020, 2019)? Of these, how many were committed on 25 December in each of those years?
2. Of the burglaries committed in December of each of those three years, how many were subsequently closed without a suspect being identified? Please could you provide this information broken down by year.
3. How many burglaries committed on 25 December were subsequently closed without a suspect being identified? Please could you provide this information broken down by year.
Decision
I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.
Please find below information pursuant to your request above.
Additional Context to Assist
We have a strong commitment to attend when a victim’s home has been burgled. Where this is reported via 101 or 999 we seek to deploy an officer to the scene and make initial enquires. In October this year we attended 80% (2820) of all residential burglary incidents reported via 101 or 999. For the same period in 2021 39% (1284) of offences were attended.
Each Basic Command Unit (BCU) now has a dedicated burglary investigation team, who review all burglary offences to establish lines of enquiry and work with our scene examiners to identify and arrest offenders.
The MPS are leading on a pilot where offenders charged or recently convicted for a burglary offence will be given the opportunity to admit to their wider offending using VR headsets. The offender will be given the opportunity to be taken on a virtual tour of the areas they offended and identify the addresses they burgled. This will bring closure to victims of burglary knowing that someone has admitted to the offence.
The public can help us reduce burglary by being vigilant in their address and street. When they are home and hear or see something that is unusual, then call the police. Leave their property secure, don’t advertise their valuables on social media, don’t leave packaging of their latest purchase outside the address, click and collect parcels that can’t be left in secure premises.