Almost a quarter of robberies and 40% of burglaries aren’t being investigated by the Met, according to new figures obtained by Conservative London Assembly Member Roger Evans.
In an FOI response provided to Mr Evans, the Met admits that officers ‘screen out’ 23% of robberies, 40% of burglaries, 76% of car thefts and 81% of cycle thefts.
Assembly Member Evans wants victims to be given the right to appeal to their local safer neighbourhood boards if the police fail to investigate their crime.
The boards, which start operating next year, will consist of groups of volunteers who represent the concerns of fellow-residents to local police leaders.
Last month Members of the Assembly’s Police and Crime Committee expressed concerns that the new groups would lack the experience and skills of the existing Community Police Consultative Groups which they’ll replace.
Commenting on the Met’s figures, Mr Evans said: “It’s a disgrace that the Met Police are refusing to investigate a huge number of acquisitive crimes. A victim of crime shouldn’t feel that the police have no interest in them unless you are physically or sexually assaulted.
He added: “Resources are tight; but crimes such as burglary are, in no way, minor. They can have a devastating impact on the confidence and wellbeing of the victim. Moreover, many criminals’ illegal activities escalate each time they get away with it so we are sending out a very dangerous message.”
“If you are a thief in London, you can rest assured that over three quarters of your crimes, reported by victims, will be ignored by police. With the high availability of CCTV in London there is no excuse for this lackadaisical attitude. We need a dramatic shift in the way police see these crimes – they may not be exciting to investigate but they are serious.”
A Met spokesperson insisted the force “investigates every single allegation of crime that it receives”.
They added: “A number of crime allegations will require secondary investigation once the initial investigation is complete. The MPS currently conducts secondary investigations in approximately 60% of all crime allegations, as compared to the national average of 45%.
“The MPS is concentrating on improving the quality and rigour of initial investigations in order to improve the service to victims by reducing the need for follow up visits. In addition, the MPS has reviewed its telephone investigation service and committed to offering a personal visit to any victim of crime who requests it. This has resulted in an additional 50,000 victims of crime being visited by an initial investigator since April 2012.”
