92% of burglary cases go unsolved in Elmbridge as Lib Dems call for police response guarantee
92% of burglary cases go unsolved in Elmbridge as Lib Dems call for police response guarantee
Monica Harding warns “Too many families now feel unsafe in their own homes” as new figures show that Elmbridge has the worst record in the country, with over nine in ten burglary cases unsolved
Liberal Democrats will call for a Burglary Response Guarantee in the manifesto to ensure all domestic burglaries are attended by a police officer and properly investigated
92% of burglary cases went unsolved in Elmbridge in 2023 - the highest proportion in England and Wales
Elmbridge’s Liberal Democrats will today (28th May) announce their plans for a Burglary Response Guarantee as new data uncovered by the party reveals the shocking scale of unsolved burglaries in local areas across England and Wales.
The figures were compiled from a series of Freedom of Information requests by the party, which have broken down unsolved burglaries data by local area.
The number of burglaries that went unsolved in Elmbridge in 2023 was 92% - this puts the borough, which covers the constituency of Esher and Walton, at the top spot nationally for unsolved cases.
Of the 505 cases in Elmbridge last year, 464 had their investigation completed with no suspect identified.
Nationally, official government figures show that nearly 76% of burglaries went unsolved in 2023.
It comes as Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has announced his plans to include a Burglary Response Guarantee in his party’s manifesto. The party’s proposals would ensure that all domestic burglaries are attended by the police and properly investigated.
Commenting, Liberal Democrat Monica Harding for Esher and Walton said:
“Too many families in Elmbridge feel unsafe in their own homes because this Conservative Government has decimated frontline policing for too long.
“The revelation that we have the highest rate of unsolved burglaries nationally is the final straw.
“Victims are being denied justice because Conservative ministers can’t even get the basics right on solving crime. That is why the Liberal Democrats would deliver a Burglary Response Guarantee, to ensure all home burglaries are attended by the police and properly investigated.
“People are sick of seeing their local communities plagued by crime and just want this appalling Conservative government to be kicked out of office. We need a fresh start.”
Notes to Editor:
The data was uncovered in an FOI request to all police forces in England and Wales.
33 of 43 police forces across England and Wales provided full responses with data provided for 329 local areas.
Their responses, which can be accessed here, provided the following data:
How many burglary cases were recorded, broken down by Local Policing Area, in the following calendar years: 2023, 2022 and 2021?
How many of those cases were closed without a suspect being identified, also broken down by Local Policing Area, in the following calendar years: 2023, 2022 and 2021?