Dorset Police welcomes NPCC home burglary announcement
Burglary offences in the county are currently at an all-time low
NPCC’s announcement that police forces will now attend all home burglaries has been welcomed by Dorset Police today.
The Force recognises how deeply traumatic burglary can be and is one of the police forces that already has a policy in place where an officer will attend an incident if your home is broken in to.
Dwelling burglary offences in Dorset are currently at an all-time low with a decrease of 10.2% in 2021/2022 compared to figures in 2019/2020.
Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Farrell said:
“I understand how upsetting is to have your home burgled and how distressing and upsetting that is for victims. Our intent is to always attend home burglaries and where there are forensic opportunities, we will automatically arrange a visit from a crime scene Investigator.
“We have relatively low levels of home burglaries in Dorset, however, given the rise in the cost of living we know that austerity can be a driver for rises in acquisitive crimes and we fully recognise the significant impact that these offences can have on our communities.
"We remain committed to working with our officers, partners and other agencies to improve standards and create a safer county for everyone.
“We are determined to put victims first and bring offenders to justice but as the NPCC has said today, a large proportion of calls to us are not about crime and the police frequently step into health and social work because of an absence of other services.
"We want to focus on our priorities to be tough on crime and always put victims first and it is clear that the public want that too.
"As the NPCC has also said we need the help of the Home Secretary and other government departments so we can focus more on resources that can solve traumatic crimes such as burglary and increase confidence in the police.”
Force committed to helping victims of crime
For other burglary types such as from sheds, garages and outbuildings, a decision about whether to attend an incident is based on the threat and risk present and the vulnerability of the victim ensuring the Force responds and allocates the correct resources in a timely manner.
In Dorset, local neighbourhood teams work alongside intelligence colleagues and partners to identify opportunities to prevent and deter people from committing offences, while the Force is also committed to helping victims of crime by offering support and prevention advice.