This is where burglars got away with their crimes EVERY TIME last year

Less than 10 per cent of burglaries were solved in a total of 13 areas across Coventry and Warwickshire in the space of a year.

And in one council ward in the region not a single suspect was identified and brought to justice over a 12-month period.

A total of 14 burglaries listed as taking place in the Wellesbourne East ward in Stratford-on-Avon between April 2018 and March of this year.

But every single case there was closed without the culprit being identified.

The ward was followed closely by Brailes & Compton and Wellesbourne West Wards - both also in Stratford - which had 24 burglaries each. On 23 of the occasions in each ward no suspect was ever identified.

In Coventry, 168 out of 183 burglaries in the Whoberley ward were recorded as unsolved (91.8 per cent).

The worst rate in Nuneaton and Bedworth was in Galley Common where 93.3 per cent went unsolved.

There were eight other wards where burglars got away with it more than 90 per cent of the time.

The statistics were compiled from crime records listed on the police.uk website. Each burglary record comes assigned to a nearby map co-ordinate.

We then matched those co-ordinates to the latest council ward boundaries to get a total for each area.

Police investigations

According to the data, West Midlands Police was the worst force in the country when it came to catching burglars.

According to the data, 87 per cent of burglary investigations ended with no suspect being identified in 2018/19.

Over the border in Warwickshire, 77 per cent of burglaries reported by the county's police force had their investigation completed with no suspect identified last year.

Watch: Law on reasonable force in your own home

They are both compared to an average 63 per cent of burglary investigations across the UK ending with the burglar getting away with it.

That figure rises to 71 per cent once cases with no available outcome status are removed.

In 2018/19 there were at least 424,944 burglaries reported to police.

In less than one per cent of cases (3,956) the offender was sent to prison.

After West Midlands Police, the worst force was Greater Manchester Police (86% of burglaries ending without a suspect), followed by Northamptonshire Police (83%).

Some forces were better - only 49% of burglaries reported by Lancashire Constabulary closed without a suspect being identified.

A few forces had even lower totals, but were missing a lot of data.

Warwickshire Police statement

Detective Superintendent Neil Harrison said: “Burglary is a crime that has a huge impact on victims and we are committed to tackling it. Where possible we always look to identify and follow up on evidential opportunities.

“The number of burglaries in Warwickshire has reduced in the 2018/19 performance year due to a sustained focus on targeting prolific offenders, working with partner agencies and colleagues in other forces, and making it as difficult as possible for criminals to operate in the county.

“While we don’t detect every offence and link every crime to an offender, we do use intelligence to ensure the most persistent and dangerous offenders are taken off the streets and brought to justice. This is a primary function of our offender management unit.

“This approach meant there were 134 fewer victims of house burglary in Warwickshire during the last performance year and it is important to recognise the hard work that has gone into achieving this.

“With further investment in frontline policing from the police and crime commissioner we are confident we can continue to cut the number of burglaries.

“The data quoted does not take into account several ongoing investigations that may lead to a significant number of offences being detected.”

CoventryLive twice asked West Midlands Police for comment, but were instead requested to watch a video of the Chief Constable speaking on the force's Facebook page.

Frustrations

Simon Kempton, Police Federation of England and Wales’ operational lead, said: “It is frustrating to see so many investigations being dropped due to lack of evidence, and, although they may not be considered the most serious of offences, it is important those
responsible are not allowed to do as they wish without the fear of being caught.

“There are now almost 22,000 fewer officers than there were in 2010.

“Our members are trying to meet growing demand with dwindling numbers and we simply cannot do everything we once could, or that the public expect us to do, therefore forces are having to prioritise and be realistic about what they can and can’t investigate until the Government starts to take the service seriously.

“We also know that in some areas forces are struggling to answer 999 calls, neighbourhood officers are being pushed into response roles and frontline officers are made to undertake investigative work due to a shortage in detectives.

“These findings do not surprise me and the Government needs wake up to what is happening. What is urgently needed is a significant centrally-funded investment, so our hard-working members can provide the best level of service to keep the public safe.”

Police.uk slightly obscure the co-ordinates of crimes to protect the anonymity of victims.

Therefore, it is possible that some burglaries which took place near the border of a council ward have been assigned to a neighbouring ward.

Some burglaries were missing co-ordinates, so have not been included in the ward totals.

 

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