NCJ Number
169890
Editor(s)
B Webb
Date Published
1996
Length
52 pages
Annotation
Based on research involving the West Midlands, England, Police Force, this report examines how the police investigate and solve residential burglaries and identifies ways to increase detect and solve burglaries, save resources, and improve victim satisfaction with police services.
Abstract
The research was conducted in two divisions of the West Midlands Police Force which was responsible for a large area with 750,000 people and various residential environments ranging from inner-city to outer suburban. At the time of research, the area was covered by 1,200 police officers and several different investigative procedures and practices were employed. A sample of 704 cases was drawn from 5,768 burglaries committed between March and September 1994. Police officers were surveyed using questionnaires, interviews were conducted with burglary victims, burglary sites were surveyed, and data were obtained from police records and the 1991 Census. Of the residential burglaries studied, only 6 percent were solved through primary means. Only 7 percent of stolen property was recovered, and lost property was not recoverable for half the victims who were not insured. Most primary burglary detections were attributed to activities carried out by the first police officer at the scene. Almost half the detections were due to catching offenders in the act, while witness evidence was responsible for most of the other detections. Ways in which primary detection rates can be improved are identified, such as increasing knowledge of local burglary characteristics, collecting detailed crime scene information, determining how stolen property is disposed of, and using characteristics of burglary cases to analyze crime patterns. Ways in which resources can be saved and victim satisfaction with police services can be improved are also noted. 9 references, 4 tables, and 7 figures