Labour criticises ‘disgraceful’ crime stats with 1m thefts unsolved last year

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More than 1m thefts went unsolved last year, Labour has said, as it branded the figures “disgraceful”.

The party’s analysis of crime statistics found that 1,145,254 cases of theft were dropped last year because the police failed to find a suspect. It said that on average a domestic burglary costs victims ?1,400, with Labour warning that families were losing millions due to unsolved crimes.

The party said that if it was in government, it would put 13,000 more police on the streets in a move funded by merging procurement for forces in England and Wales.

Earlier this year police chiefs in England and Wales promised that forces will attend all residential thefts. The shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, called the figures “disgraceful”, adding: “Theft and burglary are awful crimes and should be properly investigated, not just left for the victims to make an insurance claim.

“The home secretary has no plan to turn this around and is instead obsessed with gimmicks rather than a serious plan to catch more criminals.

“Labour has a fully costed plan to put 13,000 extra neighbourhood police on our streets, fighting crime at its source and supporting communities.”

The party also found that the overall charge rate, which is the proportion of crimes that result in a suspect being arrested and charged, has fallen to a low of just 5.4%, down from more than 15% seven years ago.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “As the home secretary has made clear, we welcome the commitment for police attendance at home burglaries.

“We continue to support the police, including through record investment and the recruitment of 20,000 additional officers by March 2023.”