Stark figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats have shown that, of the 2,768 burglaries reported to police in Surrey last year, the police only attended the scene in 1,356 instances, accounting for just 48.99% of cases. This means that 1,412 burglaries went unattended.

Nationally, the position is very similar with almost four in ten burglaries in the country not resulting in a visit to the scene by a police officer based on data provided by 19 police forces in England. Another 14 forces refused to provide their figures.

As a result of these figures, 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 a return to proper community policing where officers are visible, trusted, and have the time and resources needed to focus on solving crime.

The Liberal Democrats believe that it is shocking that so many burglaries in our community are not being attended by a police officer and that no family should be denied justice after suffering the distress and trauma of being burgled.