1 in 11 break-ins occur at the same address
Police statistics reveal thousands of burglaries occur at an address burgled before
Nearly 100,000 [1] burglaries happen at an address that has been burgled before, new figures obtained by security company ADT and independent charity Victim Support reveal.
Around one in 11 (8.6%) of the 1.13 million burglaries recorded by 25 police forces across England and Wales [2] were repeat burglaries, the statistics for 2008 to 2013 show. The figures were released via a Freedom of Information Act request [3].
Northamptonshire had the highest repeat burglary rate during 2008 to 2013, with nearly one in three (30.3%) burglaries happening in premises that had already been targeted at least twice before.
Derbyshire and Gloucestershire also had a high proportion of repeat burglaries, with one in four (26.6%) and more than one in five (22.08%) respectively of all addresses burgled.
One address in Bedfordshire was burgled nine times; five other premises were broken into six times; and 22 more were burgled five times. Only Bedfordshire Police provided this detailed information for 2008-2013 [4].
Police forces from across England and Wales were asked to provide the numbers of burgled addresses found to have been targeted at least once before, between 2008 and 2013. Of the 43 police forces, 25 responded to the request under the Freedom of Information Act.
Victim Support and security company ADT are working together on “Take No More”, a campaign to help tackle burglary within the UK. The campaign aims to provide crime prevention schemes, increase awareness in support services and help victims get justice in court.
Gail Hunter spokesperson for ADT said: “When burglaries happen, we know it’s not just what they take, it’s what they leave behind. Burglary can be a terrible experience and, disappointingly, the figures show that there is a strong possibility of being burgled again. Our aim is to deter burglars and give people peace of mind.
We want to work with communities in areas that have suffered high levels of burglary to offer crime prevention advice and reduce the risk of repeat victimisation.”
Karen Froggatt, Director at independent charity Victim Support said: “Thousands of homes are being blighted by burglaries. Getting burgled once can be devastating, but to be burgled multiple times is, understandably, extremely difficult for victims to recover from.
“Victims tell us that they suffer far more than lost possessions when their home is burgled, they lose their sense of safety in their own homes. Repeat victimisation can have a long lasting and widespread impact on people’s lives. That’s why it’s so important that victims of burglary can get practical help and have someone to talk to, when they do experience this awful crime.”
Notes
[1] 97,623 burglaries were recorded in addresses that had been broken into twice or more in six years between 08 – 13
[2] The overall number of burglaries recorded in the Crime Survey of England and Wales is much higher than police recorded figures for this crime.
[3] Freedom of Information Request: All UK police forces were asked to provide data for 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2013:-
the total number of burglary crimes recorded in their Constabulary
- total number of premises this number relates to
- the number of those premises burgled more than once
Of the 43 police forces in England and Wales 25 (58%) responded to the Freedom of Information request. Note that this information is not available readily in any other dataset. See table below.
[4] Bedfordshire Police reported that for the six years Jan 2008 to Dec 2013 some premises were burgled twice or more:-
- two times, 1,698 addresses
- three times, 247 addresses
- four times, 57 addresses
- five times, 22 addresses
- six times, five addresses
- seven times, one address
- nine times, one address
About Take No More: Victim Support and ADT are working together for the next three years to run free crime prevention schemes for householders, increase awareness of support services for burglary victims and campaign to ensure that those victims get justice in court. Visit www.victimsupport.org.uk/takenomore or www.adt.co.uk/take-no-more for more information. Follow the campaign on Twitter #TakeNoMore @VictimSupport or @ADT_UK.
About ADT: ADT is the world’s largest fire detection and electronic security company. It provides over two million customers with Intrusion, Fire Detection, CCTV surveillance and Access Control Services. ADT has been protecting homes and businesses for over 100 years, continually striving for excellence in product innovation and customer service. ADT employs 1,400 professionally trained experts who maintain and monitor ADT Alarm System 24/7 to keep you safe.
About Victim Support: Victim Support is an independent charity for victims and witnesses of crime in England and Wales. Every year it contacts around 1 million victims of crime, offering free and confidential support, as well as practical help, and information about the criminal justice system. It runs the only service supporting young witnesses who have to testify in court.
Support line: 08 08 16 89 111
Website: www.victimsupport.org.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/victimsupport
Twitter: twitter.com/victimsupport @victimsupport #TakeNoMore
