82% of burglaries unsolved by Met Police, London Home Office data shows

Figures reveal 82% of burglaries went unsolved by the Metropolitan Police in London across the 2022/2023 financial year, according to the Home Office.

Data shows 47,050 burglaries in London were closed without a suspect being identified.

This makes the Met the third worst-performing police force in the country after South Yorkshire and Hampshire, where 84% and 83% go unsolved.

A Met spokesperson said: "Officers are attending 9 out of 10 burglaries."

When asked about the rate of unsolved burglaries, they said: "The latest figures (1 April to 4 June) show there were 6,470 reported residential burglaries in London. Of these, officers attended 6,070 of the crimes. This is 94%."

Across England and Wales, nearly 77% of all burglaries went unsolved in that same time period, and an average of 6% of burglary cases resulted in a suspect being charged or summoned.

In 2022, the Met Police said it would attend all reports of burglary in London.

Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said it was unacceptable that, at the time, the proportion of reported burglaries attended by an officer from the force had fallen to 50%.

IMAGE SOURCE,PA MEDIA Image caption,Sir Mark Rowley said the Met's low attendance record for burglary was "unacceptable"

The Liberal Democrats, who analysed the data, called for a return to "proper community policing" and a new "Burglary Response Guarantee" under which all domestic burglaries would be attended by the police and properly investigated.

They said that since 2015, the Conservatives had taken more than 4,000 Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) off the streets and, as of last year, just 12% of officers across England and Wales were assigned to frontline neighbourhood policing teams.

The Labour Party accused the Conservatives of "running down" the police service.

Shadow home office minister Sarah Jones MP said Labour's next government would "bring back proper neighbourhood policing" by recruiting 13,000 more neighbourhood police and PCSOs.

A Home Office spokesperson said neighbourhood crimes including burglary, robbery and theft were down 51% since 2010.

"The Home Secretary does expect to see forces getting the basics right," they said. "That's why she called for every force to send an officer to investigate the scene of every home burglary, which is now happening across the country."

They added the Home Office had "invested record funding into policing" that can be used for neighbourhood patrols, CCTV and alarm systems.

'Getting off scot-free'

Liberal Democrat MP for Richmond Park, Sarah Olney said: "Everyone deserves to feel safe and secure in their own homes, but so many burglars are getting off scot-free.

"These figures will bring little comfort to families and pensioners in London.

"The Conservatives must finally bring back proper community policing and back the Liberal Democrats' Burglary Response Guarantee so all burglaries are attended by the police.

"It's the only way to reverse these shocking figures."

A spokesperson for the Met added the force had issued "480 video doorbell devices to vulnerable and repeat victims across London" in order to provide "some reassurance and added security".

In a further crackdown on burglaries, the Met said: "Throughout the summer, a manhunt team is also dedicated solely to proactively identifying and arresting suspected prolific burglars.

"They have already detained 17 burglary suspects."