Burglary now seen as ‘risk free’
New Government report reveals criminals not scared of being caught
Mike
Weatherley, Brighton Pavilion Conservative Parliamentary Candidate,
expressed grave concern today at a new report from the Government admitting that
burglars now regard robbing people’s homes as a ‘virtually risk free’
activity.
The report, compiled by the Home Office, investigated the attitudes of convicted house burglars. Even amongst those who have been caught:
· Only 10 per cent of burglars think there is a ‘high likelihood’ of being caught during a burglary or while in possession of stolen property.
· Almost two-thirds of burglars returned to a property they had previously burgled.
· “Few considered it to be risky at any stage… Residential burglary… was regarded as virtually risk free. The threat of detection during the course of a burglary or after disposal of goods was considered an insufficient deterrent”.
· Burglars’ main motivation for committing their crimes was the need to fund drug use.
· The most effective way of deterring burglars was targeted and repeated police enforcement activity.
Mike remarked,
“Tony Blair promised to be ‘tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime’. All talk. This report exposes the fact that under this Government, crime is out of control and sentences are too lenient. We already knew that the clear-up rate of burglary in Brighton was just 12% meaning 7 out of 8 burglars are never brought to justice. No wonder that burglars now regard breaking into people’s homes as ‘risk free’ And as victim on burglary myself twice – once when my car was broken in to and on another occasion my home – I know first hand the impact. On neither occasion was anyone caught for the crimes.
“This research backs up Conservatives’ Timetable for Action to fight crime:
· Tougher sentences – such as abolishing Labour’s early release scheme, so burglars serve their full sentence and do not dismiss the threat of prison.
· Cutting political correctness and police paperwork, getting police out onto the beat, and funding 906 more police officers for Sussex.
· 20,000 extra drug rehabilitation places to reduce the hard drug use that fuels crime.
“It is time we ensured burglars faced the consequences of their crimes. Labour are all talk, while Liberal Democrats don’t believe in jailing burglars. Only Conservatives will restore respect, discipline and decent values in our society.”
Notes to Editors
New
Home Office research
The
Home Office published its report, Decision-making
by house burglars: offenders’ perspectives on 1 November 2004. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs04/r249.pdf
Liberal
Democrat policy
Liberal
Democrats oppose most burglars being sent to jail.
·
‘I’m absolutely convinced that prison is a complete and utter waste
of time’ (Mark Oaten MP, LibDem Home Affairs Spokesman, interview with Andrew
Rawnsley, BBC Radio 4, Westminster Hour,
9 November 2003).
·
‘[The] assertion that burglars
should be universally locked up risks creating a crisis in the prison system’
(Mark Oaten, Liberal Democrat press
release, 13 January 2003).
·
‘If you do an office burglary at
the weekend and nick some computers, that sort of offence is perfectly easily
dealt with outside [prison]. If you do a burglary of a garage when people are
away on holiday that sort of offence may be best dealt with the first time on
the outside’ (Liberal Democrat President, Simon Hughes MP, BBC
News Online, 23 September 2003).
·
‘Too many petty offenders are
being sent to prison’ … ‘Non-violent offenders… should expect to be
subject to intensive supervision in the community… The offender could pay them
[the victim] back in kind by doing physical work in the victim’s house or
garden’ (Liberal Democrat press release
/ ‘Liberal Democrat proposals for tough community sentences’, 17
November 2003).
Crime
detection statistics
The
Government previously published statistics on crime detection rates in July
2004.
Home
Office, Crime in England and Wales
2003/2004: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/crimeew0304.html
The statistics include crime detection rates by ‘basic command unit’ areas. ‘Detected crimes’ are those ‘solved’ by the police: where an offence has been committed and recorded, a suspect been identified and there is sufficient evidence to charge the suspect. A low detection rate means cases are not be solved and more criminals are escaping justice.
Basic
Command Unit - Detection Recorded for Key Offences 2002/03 to 2003/04 –
Excel chart
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs04/bcu2.xls
|
Force |
Basic
Command Unit |
Burglary dwelling detection rate 02/03 (%) |
Burglary dwelling detection rate 03/04 (%) |
Is it getting worse or better? |
Proportion of burglars escaping justice |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Avon
& Somerset |
Bath
and North East Somerset |
21 |
15 |
getting
worse |
6
in 7 |
|
Avon
& Somerset |
Central
Bristol |
14 |
12 |
getting
worse |
7
in 8 |
|
Avon
& Somerset |
North
Bristol |
14 |
16 |
getting
better |
5
in 6 |
|
Avon
& Somerset |
North
Somerset |
24 |
25 |
getting
better |
3
in 4 |
|
Avon
& Somerset |
Somerset
East |
16 |
17 |
getting
better |
5
in 6 |
|
Avon
& Somerset |
Somerset
West |
8 |
24 |
getting
better |
3
in 4 |
|
Avon
& Somerset |
South
Bristol |
17 |
18 |
getting
better |
5
in 6 |
|
Avon
& Somerset |
South
Gloucester |
20 |
15 |
getting
worse |
6
in 7 |
|
Bedfordshire |
Bedford |
20 |
14 |
getting
worse |
6
in 7 |
|
Bedfordshire |
Dunstable |
12 |
15 |
getting
better |
6
in 7 |
|
Bedfordshire |
Luton |
21 |
9 |
getting
worse |
10
in 11 |
|
Cambridgeshire |
Central |
17 |
25 |
getting
better |
3
in 4 |
|
Cambridgeshire |
Northern |
14 |
24 |
getting
better |
3
in 4 |
|
Cambridgeshire |
Southern |
25 |
25 |
same |
3
in 4 |
|
Cheshire |
Chester
and Ellesmere Port |
27 |
28 |
getting
better |
3
in 4 |
|
Cheshire |
Congleton
and Vale Royal |
19 |
29 |
getting
better |
2
in 3 |
|
Cheshire |
Crewe |
21 |
21 |
same |
4
in 5 |
|
Cheshire |
Halton |
27 |
32 |
getting
better |
2
in 3 |
|
Cheshire |
Macclesfield |
20 |
17 |
getting
worse |
5
in 6 |
|
Cheshire |
Warrington |
17 |
21 |
getting
better |
4
in 5 |
|
Cleveland |
Hartlepool |
14 |
14 |
same |
6
in 7 |
|
Cleveland |
Langbaurgh |
21 |
19 |
getting
worse |
4
in 5 |
|
Cleveland |
Middlesbrough |
9 |
10 |
getting
better |
9
in 10 |
|
Cleveland |
Stockton |
11 |
11 |
same |
8
in 9 |
|
Cumbria |
Barrow
and Kendal |
15 |
25 |
getting
better |
3
in 4 |
|
Cumbria |
Carlisle
and Penrith |
13 |
15 |
getting
better |
6
in 7 |
|
Cumbria |
Workington
and Whitehaven |
14 |
23 |
getting
better |
3
in 4 |
|
Derbyshire |
Alfreton
(A Division) |
15 |
13 |
getting
worse |
7
in 8 |
|
Derbyshire |
Buxton
(B Division) |
20 |
17 |
getting
worse |
5
in 6 |
|
Derbyshire |
Chesterfield
(C Division) |
26 |
15 |
getting
worse |
6
in 7 |
|
Derbyshire |
Derby
(D Division) |
12 |
15 |
getting
better |
6
in 7 |
|
Devon
& Cornwall |
Cornwall
and Isles of Scilly(after April) |
17 |
15 |
getting
worse |
6
in 7 |
|
Devon
& Cornwall |
North
and East Devon(after April) |
18 |
24 |
getting
better |
3
in 4 |
|
Devon
& Cornwall |
Plymouth |
13 |
13 |
same |
7
in 8 |
|
Devon
& Cornwall |
South
and West Devon(after April) |
19 |
15 |
getting
worse |
6
in 7 |
|
Dorset |
Bournemouth |
18 |
18 |
same |
5
in 6 |
|
Dorset |
Dorset
Eastern |
17 |
12 |
getting
worse |
7
in 8 |
|
Dorset |
Dorset
Western |
18 |
18 |
same |
5
in 6 |
|
Dorset |
Poole |
20 |
20 |
same |
4
in 5 |
|
Durham |
Darlington |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
Durham |
Derwentside |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
Durham |
Durham |