Bedfordshire Police 'ahead of the curve' in policing domestic burglaries

Bedfordshire Police had already committed to attending all home burglaries and says it was “well ahead of the curve” when other forces made the same commitment this month.

During the Bedfordshire Police and Crime Panel on Tuesday, (October 11) councillor Gareth Mackey (Central Bedfordshire Council) welcomed the initiative but wondered how the police and crime commissioner (PCC) was going to achieve this.

“I’m hoping that you’re not going to rob Peter to pay Paul,” he said.

The PCC, Festus Akinbusoye, replied: “We were one of the first police forces in England and Wales to actually have a policy where a member of Bedfordshire Police attends every domestic burglary.

“So we were well ahead of that curve compared to other police forces and well ahead of the Home Secretary’s announcement.”

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Acting chief constable Trevor Rodenhurst added: “You’re right, we have limited resources and we will always prioritise around risk, threat and harm.

“As the commissioner said in the case of burglary we always attend someone’s home whenever it’s been broken into, and we will continue to do so.”

Councillor Mackey responded: “Perhaps you’d like to speak to me after the meeting acting chief constable, and the PCC, because I have examples of where perhaps people have not been visited where they’ve had crime occur on their property to vehicles outside their houses and haven’t had a visit.”

The acting chief constable said: “What you just described there is not a burglary, and so we have to make that distinction.”