Burglary charges have gone up and reports have gone down - which Hampshire's police force claims is a win in their battle to tackle the issue.

But the police and crime commissioner said the charge rates needed to improve further.

According to Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary, when comparing data from April 2022 to April 2023 against the previous twelve months there were 5,653 burglary reports, a reduction of 197 - 3.4 per cent - against the 2021-22 total of 5,850.

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In the first three months of 2023 the force secured 44 burglary charges, compared to 36 in the first three months of 2022.

This comes after the force committed to attending every residential burglary.

Detective Superintendent Tina Lowe said: “We’re pleased that we have maintained our burglary attendance levels since the commitment was made to our communities last September ahead of a national adoption of the same approach later that month.

"However there is always more work to be done to tackle these kinds of offences. In a small number of cases it may be impractical for us to attend due to the length of time since the offence took place, or for example if the victim has a specific reason as to why they do not wish for us to attend because they would prefer instead to speak to officers at a police station."

Det Supt Lowe said they continued to 'upskill' officers attending burglaries so they could follow up all lines of enquiry 'at the earliest opportunity' and added that these figures should continue to improve as forensic work still outstanding on other cases is completed.

She added: "By attending all residential dwelling burglary reports, we are sending a very clear message that we will not tolerate these crimes. We want to give ourselves the very best opportunity to disrupt and deter crime, and catch those criminals who are responsible."

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Positive burglary-related results in recent months include a 31 year-old man from Southampton being sentenced on Tuesday, 23 May to three years and two months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of burglary at Southampton Crown Court. Also in May at the same court a 37 year-old man was sentenced to nearly two and a half years in prison after he stole chainsaws from a conservatory and was confronted by the homeowner.

Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said: “Whilst I’m pleased burglary reports have gone down and charges have gone up, the increase in charge rates isn’t good enough.

“Attending all burglaries is what victims of crime rightly expect, but it is only one part of the process. Investigations must be improved and expedited.

“I am speaking with the chief constable regularly to see where these improvements can be made over the coming months.”

For more information on how to keep your home secure, visit the police website: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/residential-burglary/