Victims wait up to 13 hours for police response, new figures reveal

Victims of burglaries and domestic incidents are waiting more than 13 hours for police to attend, according to figures obtained by the Lib Dems.

Party leader Sir Ed Davey said "ineffective resourcing" meant police took too long to respond, losing vital witnesses or time-sensitive evidence.

Low charge rates for burglary, theft and robbery were last year labelled "unacceptable" by a watchdog.

Improving responses is a priority, the National Police Chiefs Council said.

• On shift with the 999 call handlers

• Stop and search data released with 'dodgy' warning

"Efficient response times help protect and safeguard the public, support investigations, gather evidence and bring offenders to justice," a National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) spokesman said.

Each force determines the incident response times based on their size, geography and the nature of the area they police.

Most forces aim to respond to Grade 2 calls - serious incidents that need urgent police action but don't have a life-threatening risk - within one hour. But only 10 of the 29 police forces who responded to Freedom of Information requests by the Lib Dems hit this target.

The average waiting time for police to respond to Grade 2 calls nearly doubled from one hour and 48 minutes in 2020 - when the UK was in the midst of the Covid pandemic - to three hours and 12 minutes on average in 2022.

People in Birmingham West reporting incidents such as burglaries, missing persons or domestic incidents would wait on average 13 and a half hours to see a police officer. This was the longest time among forces who supplied figures.

In Birmingham East, also covered by West Midlands Police, residents waited 11 and a half hours on average. And in places like Aylesbury Vale and Reading, covered by Thames Valley Police, victims are left waiting for over 10 hours.

Surrey also fared badly, with waiting times reaching almost seven and a half hours on average across the whole police force.

West Midlands Police have said a new policing model had seen response to incidents "significantly improving month on month".

"We prioritise crimes which cause the most harm such as burglary, robbery, vehicle crime and domestic abuse - and have already seen the highest monthly arrest rate and highest positive outcome rate in recent years," a spokesman said.

Thames Valley Police said it was working to "help reduce overall response times".

A spokesperson said: "We work extremely hard to provide a service that is trusted by all communities, fights crime and values our people."

Response times are "highly dependent" on a number of factors including "how many officers are available", workloads and where officers are based, the spokesman said.

'Postcode lottery'

The Lib Dems, who are calling for a return to community policing, argue years of poor funding have spread police thin, reducing the focus on local crime.

Since 2015, more than 4,500 community officers have been removed, and only 12% now work in neighbourhood teams. At the same times millions have been wasted on "ineffective" Police and Crime Commissioners, a Lib Dem spokesman said.

This has left a "disturbing postcode lottery" with response times varying significantly depending on the police force and local authority.

"People deserve a swift response from the police when they've been the victim of a crime, wherever they are," Sir Ed said.

"This is not only forcing crime victims to put up with agonising waits, it also means they could be denied justice in the process. Crucial evidence and witnesses are at risk of being lost during these long wait times - and that's unforgivable.

"The home secretary needs to focus on getting the basics right, instead of endless gimmicks that do nothing to keep our communities safe."

A government recruitment drive to hire an extra 20,000 police officers has restored staffing levels to higher than they were in 2010. But there are concerns that the rise has not kept pace with the increase in population since 2010 and that many experienced officers have left.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said the increase would mean "more police on the beat preventing violence, solving burglaries and cracking down on antisocial behaviour".

Under Ms Braverman, new policing guidelines have been published instructing police "to follow all reasonable lines of enquiry when investigating an offence" over fears burglary and theft have been treated as less important.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "We expect all police forces to promptly respond to 999 calls to ensure they meet incident response times and protect victims.

"The home secretary has been clear that she wants forces to take a zero tolerance approach to crime and get the basics right."

In 2022, the NPCC made a commitment to ensure that the police attend all home burglaries, in an attempt to catch more burglars.

Last year police closed 74.2% of burglary cases without identifying a suspect, while the figure for theft was 73.7%. Around half of domestic abuse-related crimes closed due to evidential difficulties where the victim did not support further action.

Labour has promised it would recruit 13,000 more neighbourhood police, if it wins the next election.