The number of house burglaries in north Wales continue to decline, according to latest figures

The number of residential burglaries has continued to drop in north Wales, according to the latest available figures.

‘Residential Burglary’ offences which include burglary of the home, vacant dwellings and of outhouses such as sheds and garages, saw a reduction during the Covid pandemic, with more people working from home and less ‘travelling criminality’.

The reduction in offences has continued over the last 12 months despite the lifting of restrictions and year to date there have been 10% less residential burglaries than during the same period last year which equates to 128 less victims of crime.

Commenting on the latest figures, Head of Local Policing Services, Chief Superintendent Sian Beck said: ‘Having your home burgled is a personal violation and we understand the significant effect that this has on victims of such crimes.

‘Our officers have been working hard within their communities to proactively reduce this type of crime, by visiting vulnerable residents and neighbouring properties to make them aware of the threats, as well as helping them make their properties less attractive to criminals.

‘We realise that where burglaries do occur, we need to continue the current trend of bringing more offenders to justice, and as part of our mission to make north Wales the safest place to live, work and visit in the UK, our new Chief Constable will soon be launching a new ‘We Don’t Buy Crime’ initiative, to further reduce offences of acquisitive crime and improve safety in our communities.’

Chief Inspector Helen Douglas, who is leading the initiative on behalf of the Chief Constable, said: ‘Our ‘We Don’t Buy Crime’ initiative is our approach to tackle acquisitive crime such as Burglary, Theft and Vehicle Crime, targeting those who commit these offences.

‘We will provide proven, evidence based crime prevention strategies to communities and businesses, improving security to stop further crime. We will work closely with retailers to show them how to recognise stolen goods and stop criminals making money from stolen property.

‘We will train businesses and partners to be our ‘eyes and ears’ explaining the signs of organised crime, criminal exploitation and how to report this to us and we will bring offenders to justice, catching them in the act while using undercover assets, forensic technology and innovative tactics.’