Lib Dems demand "Burglary Response Guarantee" as 78 % of cases go unsolved in Merseyside
New analysis from the Liberal Democrats has revealed that a staggering 4,363 burglaries went unsolved across Merseyside in the year ending September 2023.
This means that on average, a whopping 12 burglaries in Merseyside went unsolved every single day.
Meanwhile, only 367 resulted in a suspect being charged - equivalent to just 7% of cases.
Merseyside’s 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 173 Police community support officers (PCSOs) off the streets in Merseyside since 2015 - a 49% decrease.
This means that as of September 2023, there are only 180 PCSOs on the streets of Merseyside.
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.
Commenting, Leader of the Liverpool Liberal Democrat, Cllr Carl Cashman, said:
“With the vast majority of burglaries still going unsolved in Merseyside, 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.
“Merseyside deserves 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.”
Back the Burglary Response Guarantee
Liberal Democrats are calling for a new statutory guarantee that all burglaries will be attended by police and properly investigated.