Police chiefs vow to build public confidence in latest pledge

Police chiefs vow to build public confidence in latest pledge

Police chiefs across the country have for the first time vowed to ensure officers “attend all home burglaries” reported ITV.

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

The Daily Mail reported, 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.

“We want to give people the peace of mind of knowing if you experience that invasion, the police will come, find all possible evidence and make every effort to catch those responsible.

“That’s a critical part of the contract between the police and public.”

They reported an average of 774 burglaries go unsolved each day.

Home Office data reported by the same showed only 6.6% of robbery offences and 4.2% of thefts in England and Wales resulted in a guilty party being charged, in the year to December 2021.

Mr. Hewitt said the NPCC is also asking for the Home Secretary’s aid to help police chiefs focus more resources on solving crime, as he said significant non-relevant calls come through.

“A National Audit Office report in 2018 showed that 64% of emergency calls to the police were not about crime,” Mr. Hewitt said.

“Some are entirely legitimate police activity, but a substantial proportion sees police stepping into health and social work because of an absence of other services.

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

Mr. Hewitt is also calling for a review of “misleading” statistics of crime recording.

“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,” he said.

Mr. Hewitt said police and government need to work together “with evidence and public priorities at the heart of our decision-making”.