Burglaries in Dorset plummeted during second lockdown

Dorset Police received 242 reports of burglaries in November 2020, compared to 303 in November 2019 – a drop of 20 per cent, according to figures from the police crime reports database.

Insurance company Aviva warned that although some burglars may have been deterred, research finds that nearly two-thirds of burglaries happen while people are in their homes.

While burglaries represented 5.2 per cent of all reports made to police in the area in November 2019, they represented 4.3 per cent of offences reported during the same month last year.

Reported crime as a whole fell by two per cent in Dorset during the period.

Across England and Wales, there were 22,200 burglaries in November 2020 – 26 per cent fewer than the same time the previous year.

The figures exclude the number of burglaries for forces in Humberside, Staffordshire and Greater Manchester, due to problems in supplying the data.

Assistant Chief Constable Sam de Reya, of Dorset Police, said: “In line with national trends we have seen reductions in some types of crime in Dorset, such as burglaries, during periods of lockdown. "However, the demand on the force remains significant as we continue to proactively engage with our communities to encourage them to comply with Covid-19 restrictions and do all we can to support our emergency services colleagues and protect vulnerable individuals.

“We are aware there are also some areas of crime where there has not been a significant reduction, such as domestic abuse and assaults on emergency workers. We would like to remind our communities that Dorset Police is very much open for business to investigate and detect crime and we will continue to be there to support victims and investigate offences when they occur.

“We would urge anyone who has been the victim of a crime to come forward and report the matter to us at www.dorset.police.uk, via email 101@dorset.pnn.police.uk or by calling 101. If a crime is in progress dial 999.”

Kelly Whittington, property claims director at Aviva, said: “Overall the number of UK home theft claims we received in November 2020 was lower than November 2019.

"However, lockdown has not put a stop to all criminal activity unfortunately and we would still encourage people to remain vigilant, even when they are at home.

"Most burglaries are opportunistic, so if a door or window is left unlocked, someone can be in and out of a house in just a few seconds.

"And if we’re at home but on another floor or in another room, we may not even be aware of an intruder, until it’s too late.”

Alex Mayes, external affairs manager at Victim Support, said: “While there has been a fall in reported crime during the coronavirus pandemic, this does not mean that crime or the impact it has on people has gone away.

"Some crimes such as burglary and theft reduced during lockdown however, people contacting us for help as a result of other crimes such as domestic abuse, sexual violence, hate crime, fraud and anti-social behaviour has increased.

“We also know that many crimes go unreported during Covid restrictions as victims may not be in a position to safely report incidents to the police.”

The National Police Chiefs’ Council is also urging the public to protect themselves online against rising reports of cyber-crime.

Martin Hewitt, NPCC chairman, said: “Crime remains lower than at the same point last year, however the demand on the police service is significant.

"The statistics confirm the correlation of lower crime levels during periods of national lockdown.

“We encourage the public to follow the rules in place to limit the spread of the virus.

"We know that during this pandemic, cyber-crime has increased, and we continue to urge everyone to take measures to protect themselves online as criminals seek to exploit opportunities whilst communities go online during this new national lockdown."