Police failed to indicate as much as practically 130,000 legal harm stories final yr

Police failed to attend nearly 130,000 criminal damage reports last year, new research reveals today.

Criminal damage cases include intentional and malicious damage to people’s homes, vehicles or other property. In 2023, 129,302 reports of criminal damage did not have a police officer arrive at the scene – accounting for 53% of all cases, according to freedom of information requests by the Liberal Democrats.

Just 27 out of the 43 police forces in England and Wales responded to the data request, meaning the true figure is likely to be much higher.

The figures also revealed a disturbing postcode lottery. The worst performing force was Greater Manchester, where 81% of criminal damage reports went unattended compared to only 7% in Cleveland. Avon & Somerset also fared poorly, with 79% of cases going unattended

The Lib Dems are calling for a return to proper community policing as they say the Tories have taken more than 4,500 Police Community Support Officers off the streets since 2015.

Lib Democrat Home Affairs spokesman Alistair Carmichael said: “Across the country thousands of people are seeing their homes and vehicles damaged by vandalism, only for those responsible to get away with it. To think that an officer isn’t even showing up at the scene of the crime in most of these cases is outrageous.

“Yet this is the consequence of Conservative ministers decimating our frontline policing services for years. We need a proper return to community policing and more visible officers on our streets. Only then can we give people the security they deserve.”

A Home Office spokesman said: “Since 2010 our communities are safer, with a 74% fall in criminal damage. We have been clear that police must take a zero tolerance approach to all crimes and have secured a commitment from forces to follow all reasonable lines of enquiry to ensure more criminals are caught and justice is delivered for victims.”