Lib Dems demand "Burglary Response Guarantee"

New analysis from the Liberal Democrats has revealed that a staggering 3,139 burglaries went unsolved across Hertfordshire in the year ending September 2023. 

This means that on average, nine burglaries in Hertfordshire went unsolved every single day.

Meanwhile, only 178 resulted in a suspect being charged - equivalent to just 5% of cases.

Harpenden & Berkhamsted Liberal Democrats have slammed the Conservative Government for these alarming figures, arguing that years of ineffective resourcing have left local police forces overstretched and unable to focus on frontline crime like burglaries.

This includes taking 49 Police community support officers (PCSOs) off the streets in Hertfordshire since 2015 - a 23% decrease.

This means that as of September 2023, there are only 161PCSOs on the streets of Hertfordshire.

The Liberal Democrats are demanding a return to proper community policing, where officers are visible, trusted and focused on tackling neighbourhood crime.

The party is also calling for a new “Burglary Response Guarantee,” under which all domestic burglaries would be attended by the police and properly investigated.

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Harpenden & Berkhamsted, Victoria Collins said:

“With the vast majority of burglaries still going unsolved in Hertfordshire, too many people feel unsafe in their own homes.

“Time and again, this Conservative Government has failed to deliver the absolute basics of stopping and solving crime. But enough is enough.

“The people of Harpenden, Berkhamsted, Tring and our villages deserve better. It’s high time to bring an end to this shameful burglar bailout - which is why Liberal Democrats will keep pushing the Conservatives to implement our Burglary Response Guarantee and get more bobbies on the beat.”