One in five burglaries go unsolved across Devon & Cornwall

Of the 1,242 burglaries reported in that period, only 6% resulted in a charge or summons. 265 investigations were closed without identifying a suspect - meaning over 21% of burglaries went unsolved.

The Liberal Democrats have also uncovered surprising figures on police attendance at burglaries. Nationally, almost four in ten burglaries in the country did not result in a visit to the scene by a police officer.

The figures were based on data provided by 19 police forces in England. Devon & Cornwall police force did not provide data.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for a new “Burglary Response Guarantee,” which would create a guarantee that all domestic burglaries are attended by the police and properly investigated.

This will require proper community policing - where officers have the time and resources needed to focus on solving crime.

Since 2015, the Conservatives have taken over 4,000 Police Community Support Officers off the streets – with Devon and Cornwall losing 60% of our PCSOs over this period.

The Government also looks set to have broken their key promise of having recruited an extra 20,000 police officers by the end of March 2023.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton & Honiton Richard Foord said:
“Elderly people in my part of Devon tell me that they feel unsafe in their own homes because the Conservatives have cut police funding and left our police service overstretched and under-resourced.

“Far too many victims are being denied justice and far too many criminals are getting away with it. The Liberal Democrats would ensure that if people are burgled, they’ll know the police will attend the scene and investigate properly.

“More people across the West Country are turning to the Liberal Democrats because they know we work hard for our communities, listen your concerns, and will always stand up to make your voice heard.”