Distraction Burglary
Distraction Burglary: recorded crime data
This report shows the levels of distraction burglary from 2003 to 2004. The data is the first set of results to be recorded for distraction burglary since it became a recorded subcategory of the police's 'burglary dwelling' offence category.
Title:
Distraction Burglary: recorded crime data
Author: Chandni Ruparel
Series: HOSB
14/04
Date published: October 2004
Number of pages: 5
Until April 2003 distraction burglary had always been recorded in the overall burglary figures, which meant there have never been any figures to record the crime trends of distraction burglary. Up until that time forces may have kept local records, but now analysis is possible at a national level as well as comparisons between forces.
Recorded crime data
Since this change in how distraction burglary is recorded the following findings have been found:
On average distraction burglary accounts for 4% of all burglary in England and Wales.
In the 41 forces for which data were available, there were over 15,000 recorded distraction burglaries in 2003/04.
The highest levels of recorded distraction burglary are in Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and the London region. Distraction burglary per 10,000 population varies. 14% of all distraction burglaries take place in Northamptonshire compared to less than 1% in North Wales.
In the Met police force, both the rate of total domestic burglary and the rate of distraction burglary are relatively high.
Many of the forces in the North West and Yorkshire and the Humber regions have high total burglary rates, but distraction burglary only accounts for a small proportion of these (2.2% and 2.8% respectively).
In the Eastern region and in the South East, total domestic burglary is relatively low (120 and 121 burglaries per 10,000 households), but a larger proportion of these are distraction burglaries.
Below are 2 diagrams to show the geographical spread of distraction burglaries across the country.
Last update: 24 November 2004