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13
Sept 2024
New figures reveal how few burglaries in North Yorkshire lead to charges
Figures reveal only about one in 20 house burglaries in North Yorkshire led to someone being charged last year.
The data was revealed following a freedom of information request to North Yorkshire Police.
The request asked for the total number of residential burglaries recorded between 2019 and 2024 in North Yorkshire, broken down by month and calendar year.
In 2019, there were 1,961 burglaries recorded, while 2020 – when covid hit – saw a total of 1,244.
There were 1,001 recorded in 2021, followed by 1,121 in 2022, and 1,318 in 2023.
So far in 2024, 570 burglaries were logged up to May.
Charge or summons
The request also asked for the number of recorded burglaries that led to a charge or summons.
Around 5% (68) of burglaries resulted in a charge or summons in 2023.
In 2020, about 3.7% of burglaries led to the same outcome, followed by around 4.4% in 2021.
The number of incidents that led to a summons or charge per year is as follows:
2019: 118
2020: 46
2021: 44
2022: 75
2023: 68
2024: 10
Not all charges lead to prosecutions, and not all burglaries are recorded, so the figures raise questions about the number of burglaries being tackled in North Yorkshire.
Police will 'relentlessly pursue' criminals
The Stray Ferret put these figures to North Yorkshire Police and asked why so few residential burglaries led to criminal proceedings.
A spokesperson for the force said:
Having your home burgled is an extremely upsetting and disturbing experience.
That is why North Yorkshire Police is constantly working hard to deter and detect suspected criminals from within and outside our force area.
This involves using a range of specialist technology and intelligence gathering networks, which allows us to target our resources in the right places and at the right times.
Those who commit crimes such as burglary will be relentlessly pursued.
We also place great emphasis on promoting crime prevention through community engagement by our neighbourhood policing teams. This includes providing advice to home and business owners and regular free property marking sessions.
But the force did not directly answer the specific query about why so few burglaries resulted in prosecution.
Instead, the spokesperson added police "cannot stress enough the importance of crime prevention measures". They said:
[Measures] such as locking doors, closing windows and removing items away from public view can make in keeping opportunist burglars at bay.
This is emphasised in our targeted publicity campaigns in the media and online, including the use of our North Yorkshire community messaging service which keeps local people informed about emerging issues and concerns.
Crucially, we still need residents and businesses to keep reporting suspicious activity and vehicles seen in the area.
If something doesn’t look right it’s always best to call it in on 101, report it via the North Yorkshire Police website, or dial 999 for an emergency response if a crime has just occurred. If you would prefer not to give your name, we encourage you to make an anonymous report to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
Everyone has a part to play in making our communities safer and more secure.
We are determined to keep North Yorkshire and York among the very safest places to live, work and visit in the country.
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