Met Police fail to solve 82 per cent of burglaries
The Met Police failed to solve 82 per cent of burglaries in London last year, data has revealed.
Figures from the Home Office for the 2022-2023 financial year show an average of 129 burglaries a day – or a total of 47,050 – were closed without a suspect being identified.
While just six per cent of cases resulted in a suspect being charged or summonsed.
It comes as the national figure for unsolved burglaries came in at nearly 77 per cent across England and Wales for the same period.
Conservative mayoral candidate Susan Hall commented: “We have got to get the Met Police working again and solving crimes like this – victims fear the police and criminals don’t.
“I have pledged to set up specialist units for stopping burglaries, robberies and thefts, and I will invest £200m to deliver the vital reforms we need in our police force.”
While Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Olney said: “Everyone deserves to feel safe and secure in their own homes.
“But under this terrible government, so many burglars are getting off scot-free. These figures will bring little comfort to families and pensioners in London.”
She urged ministers to restore community policing to “reverse these shocking figures”.
While London Assembly member Caroline Pidgeon added: “No family should be denied justice after suffering the distress and trauma of being burgled.
“People should know that if they are burgled, the police will attend the scene and investigate properly. This is what the Met Commissioner promised us last September.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The home secretary wants forces getting the basics right – deterring crime and catching more criminals.
“That’s why she’s called for every force to send an officer to investigate the scene of every home burglary, and delivered more police officers in England and Wales than ever before.
“As of March 31, 2023, 99.6 per cent of PCSOs were employed in frontline roles. Since 2010, our communities are also significantly safer, with neighbourhood crimes including burglary, robbery and theft down 51 per cent.”
The Met Police was approached for comment and said officers were now attending nine out of ten domestic burglaries. The force pointed CityA.M. to commissioner Sir Mark Rowley’s commitment last year that officers will attend every home burglary.
He said: “To rebuild confidence and trust in the police, we have renewed our focus on our response to all burglaries. Our work includes supporting those who are vulnerable and repeat victims of burglary, as well as providing crime prevention advice.
“The prevention activity includes high visibility foot and mobile patrols at times when burglaries are most common and working with repeat victims of burglary to reduce their chances of being burgled again. Officers are also reviewing crime reports to see if we can identify suspects or patterns.”
The mayor of London has also been contacted for comment.