Mayoral candidate Keane Duncan said he will ensure North Yorkshire Police is “Britain’s toughest force on burglary” with a guaranteed response to every incident.
Announcing a major pillar of his ‘Back to Basics’ policing approach, he said he expects North Yorkshire Police to respond to every reported burglary, including those in sheds and outbuildings.
Failure to do so gives burglars “free rein to offend time and time again, with little chance of arrest”, he said.
While all Home Office police forces agreed to attend every residential burglary of a home back in 2022, this does not currently include burglaries from sheds and outbuildings.
Keane said North Yorkshire should set a “new, tougher standard”, and that’s what he will be demanding if he is elected as mayor in May.
He said: “A police officer should attend every burglary. That’s what victims expect, and that’s what I will expect on their behalf if I am elected mayor.
“This should not just include homes, but sheds and outbuildings too.
“These incidents can be just as costly and upsetting, and it is right that they should be responded to and investigated thoroughly.
“The response should be as quickly as possible, ideally within the first hour, known as the ‘golden hour’. And officers should exhaust lines of enquiry.
“These fundamental steps will lead to arrests and deter offending.
“The alternative is to give burglars free rein to offend time and time again, with little chance of arrest.
“By setting these new targets, I will ensure North Yorkshire Police is Britain’s toughest force on burglary.”
The new mayor will take on the responsibilities for the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, a role which will be abolished after May’s election.
