ROUGHLY seven in 10 household burglaries in Gwent are closed without police identifying a suspect, data reveals.

The Police Federation says urgent funding is needed to reverse a situation which is “soul-destroying” for officers.

Home Office figures show that of the 1,894 residential burglaries reported to Gwent Police in 2018-19, 74 per cent were closed with the outcome listed as “investigation complete – no suspect identified”.

In eight per cent of cases, a suspect was identified and the victim supported an investigation but “evidential difficulties prevented further action”, while a further nine per cent of cases were closed because the victim declined or was unable to support any further investigation.

Raids of garages, sheds and outbuildings are included in the figures, as well as home burglaries.

Distraction burglaries, which are recorded as a separate offence, are not included.

Just five per cent of residential burglaries reported to Gwent Police last year resulted in someone being charged or summoned to court, down from seven per cent in the previous year.

John Apter, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: “Having your home burgled can be one of the most devastating and impactful crimes people experience; and its effects can last a lifetime.

“Every police officer joins the job to help people and catch offenders.

“These statistics will be as soul-destroying for them as they are worrying to the public.

“With many forces struggling to cope with 999 call demand, and others unable to fill detective positions, it is not surprising some crime types are becoming harder to prosecute.

“What the service so desperately needs is a long-term funding deal to enable all forces to return to a position where they are properly resourced to meet the demands they face.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Nicky Brain said:

“We understand the significant impact this crime can have on victims and are committed to identifying areas of improvement. The term residential burglary now includes all forms of outbuildings such as sheds and garages as well as households. Such figures also include attempted break-ins which we understand can be equally as distressing for those affected.

"Our crime scene investigators are deployed to all crimes where there are forensic opportunities. Where this isn’t the case, such as with shed burglaries, we still work to identify patterns and hot spots and look at all potential lines of enquiry.

"We are committed to investigating burglary, identifying offenders and are currently reviewing our processes around burglary investigations.”

READ MORE:

A recent report following an inspection of all 43 police forces by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services found that the likelihood of police bringing someone to justice following a criminal investigation of any kind is decreasing.

In England and Wales, a suspect was charged in 7.8 per cent of recorded crimes last year, down from 9.1 per cent.

A Home Office spokesman said: “The government is keeping our communities safe by recruiting 20,000 extra police officers and launching the Safer Streets Fund.

“We recognise the impact that crime can have on its victims and we want offenders charged and brought to justice in the courts.

“Chief constables and police and crime commissioners are responsible for setting priorities, which reflect the concerns of the people they serve, but we expect them to take all forms of crime seriously.”