Wiltshire Police vow for officers to attend all home burglaries

The force is pledging to attend every home burglary alongside the other 42 forces around the country.

A commitment to visit all victims has been made in a bid to increase satisfaction and preserve evidence sooner for more prosecutions.

Martin Hewitt, chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), said in the Daily Mail the commitment is aimed at building public confidence in the police.

This pledge follows a review of evidence from the College of Policing and in response to public opinion.

Mr Hewitt said: “Some police chiefs have struggled to achieve attendance at all burglaries with limited resources and balancing an increase in complex and highly harmful crimes. But burglary is invasive and can be deeply traumatic."

Wiltshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson has welcomed the commitment for the force’s officers to visit all victims of home burglaries.

Philip Wilkinson outside Wiltshire Police HQ (Image: Wiltshire PCC)

Wiltshire Police currently attend 88.7 per cent of house burglaries. Mr Wilkinson said furthering that commitment would be welcomed by residents, adding: “Burglary is a highly invasive crime and understandably leaves victims traumatised with many scared to be in their homes as a result.

“This commitment enhances how police forces respond to burglary and will ensure these crimes are not trivialised as they strike at the heart of how safe our residents feel.”

Mr Wilkinson said he has asked Wiltshire Police if it is "operationally possible" to extend the commitment to include all non-dwelling burglaries, such as sheds and outbuildings. He added: "As ever, this will be a delicate balance but aiming to provide the policing service our communities want is vital.

Wiltshire is one of six forces placed in special measures after a damning report by the national police watchdog in July.

HMIC said the force needed to improve particularly how it responds to the public, protects the vulnerable and makes use of its resources.

Assistant chief constable Craig Dibdin at Wiltshire Police said the force is "determined to bring more criminals to justice and support victims of such crimes".

He added: “Anyone who has suffered a burglary will know the long-lasting impact it can have - knowing that someone has violated your home can be a hugely unsettling experience which goes beyond any financial damage caused."

Calling on the government for help

Mr Hewitt told the Daily Mail the NPCC is also asking for the Home Secretary's aid to help police chiefs focus more resources on solving crime.

"We're asking government to seriously take on the vast widening of the policing mission. We want to focus more on solving crime. The public want the same. And so do politicians."

Mr Hewitt is also calling for a review of crime recording processes, with the current system too often taking officers away from neighbourhood policing and contributing to "misleading" statistics.

"Right now, for crime recording purposes, a burglary of someone's family home is treated the same as the loss of a spade from a shed. There must be a better way."