Call for a return to 'proper community policing' in Horsham

Horsham Liberal Democrats say that almost all burglaries in the county go unpunished.

Horsham Councillor John Milne said: “This news is alarming for people in Horsham and across Sussex.”

According to Home Office data, only 53 or three per cent of domestic burglaries in Sussex resulted in a criminal charge or summons in the first three quarters of 2022.

Said a Lib Dem spokesperson: “In the same time period, a startling 1,300 burglaries went unsolved, amounting to 65 per cent of all burglaries in Sussex. Police forces up and down the country have been left overstretched and underfunded. No wonder residents are alarmed.

“The Lib Dems are calling for a return to proper community policing – where officers are visible and have the time to focus on preventing and solving crimes – so that criminals can no longer act with impunity.”

Have you read? Residents hit out at road chiefs for ‘shambolic’ handling of A29 closure in Pulborough

Sussex village pub plans to convert car park into a garden

Councillor Milne accused inaction by the Government of leading to “thousands of burglars getting away with it – and thousands of families waiting endlessly for justice that may never arrive.

“Police cuts have gone too far. Conservative ministers must finally recruit the extra 20,000 police officers they have promised but repeatedly failed to deliver.”

A number of burglaries and attempted break-ins are reported to Sussex Police every week in the Horsham district. Fourteen instances of theft and attempted theft were reported in the area during this week alone.