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

Bedford Borough 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 Bedfordshire go unpunished.

Analysis of official Home Office data by the Liberal Democrats revealed that just 49, or 4%, of domestic burglaries in Bedfordshire resulted in a criminal charge or summons in the first three quarters of 2022. In the same time period, a startling 951 burglaries went unsolved, amounting to 77% of all burglaries in Bedfordshire - the 5th worst rate in the country.

Bedford Borough Liberal Democrats have slammed the government and the Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner 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.

Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Police and Crime, Councillor Tim Caswell said "This news is terrifying for people in Bedford Borough. This Conservative government's inaction has led to hundreds of burglars getting away with it - and hundreds of families waiting endlessly for justice that may never arrive. 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."