Conservatives “asleep at the wheel” as just 2% of burglaries in Hampshire result in a charge

Eastleigh’s 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 Hampshire go unpunished.

Analysis of official Home Office data by the Liberal Democrats revealed that just 76, or 2%, of domestic burglaries in Hampshire resulted in a criminal charge or summons in the first three quarters of 2022. Across the country, the figure was a dismal 4%.

In the same time period, a startling 3,494 burglaries went unsolved, amounting to 79% of all burglaries in Hampshire.

Liz Jarvis, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for Eastleigh, has 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, Liz Jarvis, Lib Dems Parliamentary Candidate for Eastleigh, said: 

“This news is terrifying for people in Eastleigh. This Conservative Government’s inaction has led to thousands of burglars getting away with it  - and thousands 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.”