Protecting the public from burglars

POLICE and Crime Commissioner John Dwyer wants to protect the public from the trauma of their homes being burgled.
Part of his role is to scrutinise the performance of Cheshire Police – and after expressing concern over the number of household burglaries that were being detected, he asked HM Inspectorate of Constabulary to review how the police acted in response to a report of a burglary.
HMIC has now reported – and their overall findings are positive with the report highlighting “that staff at all ranks are committed to tackling burglary.”
Mr Dwyer said: “I welcome the findings of this report and the recognition that my plans are having an impact.
“When I first expressed concern over the number of household burglaries that were being detected the Constabulary rose to the challenge. I didn’t want to be complacent so I commissioned this review to see what other improvements could be made to build on the work already being done.
“I made a pledge to the public that I wanted to reduce crime and re-offending in the county. The work being done by the Constabulary is having a positive impact because crime is at its lowest levels since the early 90s.
“Being a victim of crime can be a traumatic experience for anyone. Burglary in particular can have a huge impact on the victim, making them feel vulnerable in their own home. Even though crime is at its lowest levels doesn’t mean it has ceased to exist. When it does occur, I want to ensure that the Constabulary and victim services are putting the victim at the centre of policing, providing a wraparound service giving the right help and support at the appropriate time.”
Last year, there was a 1.8 per cent reduction in burglary in Cheshire and the number of burglaries solved improved to 20.3 per cent compared to `16 per cent the previous year.