Conservatives “asleep at the wheel” as just 4% of burglaries in the Thames Valley result in a charge

Reading Liberal Democrats have slammed the Conservatives for being “asleep at the wheel” on tackling community crime after damning new revelations show that almost all burglaries in the Thames Valley go unresolved.

Analysis of official Home Office data by the Liberal Democrats revealed that just 133, or 4%, of domestic burglaries in the Thames Valley resulted in a criminal charge or summons in the first three quarters of 2022. Across the country, the figure was also a dismal 4%.

In the same time period, a startling 2,359 burglaries went unsolved, amounting to 69% of all burglaries in the Thames Valley.

Reading Liberal Democrats have slammed the Government for these stark figures, saying the Conservatives have left police forces up and down the country overstretched and underfunded.

The party is calling for a return to proper community policing - where officers are visible and have the time to focus on preventing and solving crimes - so that criminals can no longer act with impunity.

Commenting on the figures, Reading Lib Dem Leader Councillor Meri O'Connell said:

“This Conservative Government's inaction has led to thousands of burglaries going unresolved - and thousands of families waiting endlessly for the justice system to take them seriously”

“Everyone deserves to feel safe in their homes. The Government must make that possible by giving police forces the officers, time and resources they need to tackle domestic burglaries.”

“To do this, Conservative Ministers must finally recruit the extra 20,000 police officers they have promised but failed to deliver.”

Reading Lib Dem Deputy Leader Councillor James Moore added:

“These are shocking figures, compounded in our town by the Tory Police and Crime Commissioner who has slashed the community policing budget for areas like Reading while increasing it for Tory-voting areas like Bracknell, which have a much lower crime rate than Reading."

"Liberal Democrats are calling for a fair deal for Reading where the allocation of policing resources is driven by the needs of our communities and not the electoral interests of the Conservatives."