How many burglaries are solved in my area? Interactive maps show police clear-up rates in all areas of the UK

The new head of the Metropolitan Police has vowed that officers will now visit the scene of every burglary in the capital. But how many break-ins get solved in your area? Our interactive maps show the clear-up rates in all local areas of the UK.
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Only one in 20 domestic burglaries in England and Wales result in a suspect being charged, police figures show.

The figures for 2021/22 show a wide variation in clear-up rates across different force areas, after inspectors branded the police response to break-ins a “postcode lottery”.

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Separate figures show the number of burglaries remaining unsolved also varies widely by area in Northern Ireland and in Scotland, where the crime is called theft by housebreaking.

It comes amid growing concern about the way police forces across England and Wales investigate these crimes.

In particular, there has been frustration about forces refusing to send officers to the scene of many break-ins, a trend which the new head of the Metropolitan Police has vowed to reverse in the capital.

Sir Mark Rowley told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Tuesday that burglary was “too serious an intrusion” not to have a police officer attend.

Sir Mark Rowley, the new Metropolitan Police Commissioner, has vowed to improve the force’s response to burglaries. (Photo: Getty)Sir Mark Rowley, the new Metropolitan Police Commissioner, has vowed to improve the force’s response to burglaries. (Photo: Getty)
Sir Mark Rowley, the new Metropolitan Police Commissioner, has vowed to improve the force’s response to burglaries. (Photo: Getty)
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He said it is unacceptable that the proportion of reported burglaries attended by an officer from the force has fallen to 50%.

In August, the police watchdog ordered forces to improve their response to burglaries, thefts and robberies.

A damning report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary said forces were missing opportunities to identify and catch offenders.

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary Andy Cooke said: “Burglary, robbery and theft are not minor crimes. They are crimes that strike at the heart of how safe people feel in their own homes or communities. The current low charge rates for these crimes are unacceptable and unsustainable – there needs to be a concerted drive to address this issue because it directly affects the public’s confidence in the police’s ability to keep them safe.”

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He said there was a “postcode lottery” across England and Wales, with some victims more likely than others to get a thorough investigation from their force.

He urged forces to go “back to basics”, adding: “We found that from the moment a victim reports a crime until that case is finalised, forces are missing opportunities to gather vital evidence and bring offenders to justice.

“A lack of experienced officers means that too often, these crimes are being investigated poorly and are not adequately supervised – often because supervisors themselves are inexperienced and overstretched.”

England and Wales

Across England and Wales, only 5% of burglary investigations resulted in a suspect being charged or asking for the offence to be taken into consideration by the courts in 2021/22.

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Hampshire had the lowest charge rate, at 2.6%, four times lower than in Devon and Cornwall where it was 10.5%.

Scotland

In Scotland, figures are compiled differently so cannot be directly compared.

There, police publish clear-up rates, showing the proportion of reported crimes where there is enough evidence to justify consideration of criminal proceedings.

The clear-up rates for housebreaking - which includes break-ins of homes and other properties - was 26.9% in 2021/22.

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Excluding Shetland, where only two break-ins were recorded, the area with the lowest clear-up rate was Glasgow City, at 17.2%, while all housebreaking crimes were cleared up in both the Orkney Islands and Na h-Eileanan Siar.

Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, again figures cannot be directly compared with the rest of the UK.

The proportion of burglaries where a suspect was sanctioned was 15.6% in 2021/22.

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Sanctions include a suspect being charged or cautioned, an offence being taken into consideration or a community resolution being struck.

The area with the lowest sanction rate was Mid Ulster, at 8.7%, less than half the rate seen in the highest area, Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon, at 18.6%.